


Follow You

by drakamae



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-08 16:51:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 32,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12868878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drakamae/pseuds/drakamae
Summary: “I have not always chosen the safest path. I've made my mistakes, plenty of them. I sometimes jump too soon and fail to appreciate the consequences. But I've learned something important along the way: I've learned to heed the call of my heart. I've learned that the safest path is not always the best path and I've learned that the voice of fear is not always to be trusted.”― Steve Goodier





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Putting my feelers out with this one. I realized there's little to no Qrow/OC work out there and I'm literally a sucker for it. The idea popped into my head and I couldn't leave it alone. Italics is flashbacks! Let me know if you want more and what you think of it!!

Amethyst sighed, her gaze surveilling the damage done to the school she had graduated from years ago, perched upon the rooftops of Vale. Her black and gold cloak billowed in the wind as her eyes often drew back to the Grimm dragon perched on top of the tower, seemingly frozen. She only knew of one kind of power that could do such a thing, and she hadn’t seen someone who held such a power in over a decade.

She had barely left Vale for three weeks. In just that time, the school she protected had fallen and her enemies had taken power. No one had been able to contact her on the mission Ozpin had given her, seeing as no one knew where she was. Now, she had the feeling he had sent her away on purpose.

Huffing, Amethyst made her way down from the top of the building, heading for the school. There was only one person she needed to find now, and if she knew anything for sure, she knew he’d leave a clue. Moving through the streets of Vale was daunting. The crumbling buildings along with the Atlas ships still smoking made shivers run down her spine. She knew Glynda would be here somewhere, trying to pick up what was left of the abandoned town, but the instructor knew how to contact her if need be.

Finally reaching the outer arches of the courtyard, she inched forward. So far, the Grimm paid her no mind. She still never got used to the frightening creature’s presence. Reaching the section of the half wall in front of her that hadn’t crumbled, she finally found what she was looking for. A single, black feather was wedged in a small hole in the top of the worn-down wall; obviously placed there on purpose. Amethyst clutched the feather, letting out a breath of relief that he was indeed alive.

Looking back to the tower, recognition flashed across her lavender colored eyes. Only the power of a silver eyes could do what had been done to the Grimm, and she had only known two silver eyes in her life. With an idea of where to go in mind, Amethyst turned back to the forest. She was overdue for a trip to Patch, anyway.

* * *

 

_Summer and Amethyst made their way to their new dorms slowly, talking quietly and wondering what their new team mates would be like. They had been almost positive they’d make it onto the same team, but, sadly, they’d ended up being split. Summer was assigned leader of Team STRQ, alongside her new team members Taiyang, Raven and Qrow. She didn’t know much about them, other than Raven and Qrow were twins. She assumed that was why they had ended up on the same team._

_Amethyst had been assigned leader of Team AZTC. Her team members were Zircon, Theo and Catelin. Theo was a dog Faunus, but Amethyst had never minded the Faunus much. She wasn’t sure how well Zircon and Theo would get along, though, because Zircon tended to goad a bit much. She was also fairly certain that Catelin and Zircon were dating, which could cause a bit of trouble for their team if things were to go south between them. In the end, she trusted Professor Ozpin’s judgement when it came down to their final decisions._

_Amethyst and Summer had to part ways to set up their respective rooms, which were across the hall from each other, and meet their teammates, but within a couple of hours Summer had returned, knocking gently on the team’s door. This time, though, the rest of her team followed behind her._

_Amethyst looked them over, her eyes catching on the taller, raven-haired man and lingering a moment. Her eyes darted away quickly when he looked back._

_“I thought it would be a good idea for all of us to hang out a bit. We’re going to be working together a lot and we should get to know one another.” She suggested shyly, looking around to the four teammates occupying the room._

_Amethyst shrugged, nodding back. “Definitely couldn’t hurt.” She turned to her teammates, introducing them. “I’m Amethyst. This is Catelin, Zircon and Theo.” She pointed to each of them, watching as the other team introduced themselves._

_She couldn’t help but gaze at the taller man again- Qrow, as he’d introduced himself- for a bit longer. His eyes locked with hers again, but this time he smirked, his gaze dropping to the floor as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly._

_“Wait, so you two are twins?” She heard Theo ask. The darker haired pair nodded. “And you’re both named after birds?” He looked like he was trying not to laugh. They nodded again. “And you’re not Faunus’?” They shook their heads, nearly in sync._

_“Theo! Stop interrogating them! This is not how you make friends!” Amethyst moved to him, whacking his shoulder. He shook with laughter, and the twins glared, slightly confused. “I’m sorry, I take no responsibility. We literally just met.” That made them crack a smile, and she could hear Taiyang and Summer laughing as they moved into the room, Summer sitting on the bed that was obviously Amethyst’s- she’d changed the sheets to blue, her favorite color- and Tai sitting at the desk next to the door._

_Zircon and Catelin ended up sitting together on one bed, a comic between them as they chatted with Tai. Theo, Summer and Raven were gathered around Theo’s bed, immersed in a conversation about Menagerie, where Theo had come from._

_Qrow had originally been sitting with his sister, watching as the two teams interacted, before he realized that Amethyst had moved away from the groups, returning to her bed to pull a pile of books out of the box that sat on it. He wandered over, taking a seat on the edge of her bed and plucking one of the books from her pile._

_“‘The Man with Two Souls’?” He asked, a mischievous smirk on his face, “Can’t say I expected romance novels.” He said, flipping through the pages._

_She stuck her tongue out at him, giggling slightly. “It’s not romance.” She argued. “It’s actually really informational. If you believe in the legends, that is. That’s what most of these are.” She waved a book before setting it on the shelf next to her bed._

_“Oh, informational, I’m sure.” He snickered, reading over one of the passages. “What kind of legends are we talking?” He asked, his eyes meeting hers again._

_Amethyst shrugged, “Some about maidens, the King of Vale, history of dust, just the usual stuff.” She pulled the book from his hands, setting it on the shelf alongside the others. He pouted slightly, and she shook her head, a small smile on her lips. She grabbed one of the books closest to her and handed it to him, before grabbing her own and sitting on the other end of the bed, propping her feet up next to his._

_“That one’s probably more your style.” She winked. It was a book about the history of the Grimm; where they were suspected to have come from and the different types of them. It had been written by one of the most famous huntsman in Vale decades ago, and there were several notes scrawled in there from her own father. He had given the book to her as a gift when she left for Beacon._

_Qrow examined the cover, turning it over in his hands before opening it and scanning the contents. He looked back up, seeing she was waiting for a response. “Are you that good at reading people?” He asked, a slightly shocked look on his face. She laughed._

_“You obviously weren’t into the romance, I just guessed based on outward appearances.” He smiled back and they both turned to the books in their hands._

_The teams spent most of their free time together. They’d spar often, other times they’d split up. Theo, Summer and Raven often played strategy and board games together, while Tai, Zircon and Catelin would sort through comics. More often than not, Amethyst and Qrow could be found spread out on the floor of Team STRQ’s dorm- seeing as the others took up most of the space in Team AZTC’s dorm. Sometimes they’d read, a lot of the time they were going over weapon designs. Qrow was always working on ways to improve his scythe and was more than happy to provide suggestions for Amethyst’s battle axes. If she tried hard enough, Amethyst could even get him to study for his exams._

_It wasn’t until a few weeks after they’d started spending time together that she noticed how beautiful Qrow’s red eyes really were, or how she admired the way his hair fell over his face when he was frustrated._

_One afternoon, following a particularly rough sparring match between Amethyst and Raven, Tai, Raven, Summer and Theo announced they were heading to Vale to check out an arcade they had heard about in town. Amethyst opted to stay behind, seeing as her aura had yet to heal from Raven’s blows and her ribs were still a bit bruised. Catelin and Theo had slipped away after class, likely to the library where they could spend time alone together._

_Amethyst made her way back to their dorm slowly, deciding a nap was necessary to heal herself faster. When she reached the door, she heard the door to Team STRQ’s room behind her open and turned to see Qrow standing in the doorway. She smiled._

_“To what do I owe the pleasure, Branwen?” She asked, leaning against her doorway to relieve some of the pressure on her torso. He smirked back, opening the door wider, inviting her into the team’s room._

_“Saw the way Raven kicked your ass in class, thought you might appreciate some help with healing.” She eyed him, slightly confused. The students had learned the various ways to use their auras, one being healing, but they’d never actively practiced it. She pushed off the doorway, wincing in pain before moving across the hall into the other room. As she walked in, she turned back to Qrow, waiting for him to speak._

_He closed the door behind them gently. “You’re going to want to lay down. That one’s my bed.” He pointed to the far left, moving to the shelf by their window to grab something. As she moved, he spoke up again. “You’ll also want to take off your jacket, I’ll have to touch the skin where the injury is.” His voice was laced with nerves, and she started to get nervous herself._

_“Have you ever done this before, Qrow?” She asked, pulling off her jacket and tossing it on a coat rack before untucking her uniform shirt and sitting on the edge of his bed._

_He nodded, turning back to her. “Plenty of times on Raven, but we’re related.” Amethyst nodded in understanding, laying back and pulling her shirt up. She could clearly see the wound now; her ribs were a deep blue, but the bruising went up further than she’d expected, onto her sternum._

**_Well, that’s going to be awkward._ ** _She thought to herself. Qrow moved to sit on the bed facing her, his eyes widening as he saw the injury for the first time. “She’s apparently a lot stronger than she looks.” Amethyst groaned, her breathing shallow as the pain set in, her aura not being able to hold out any longer._

_Qrow nodded, a ghost of a smile over his lips before he moved, placing his hands over each side of her ribs, covering most of the bruising. He breathed deeply before a red glow cast from his hands, covering the dark spotting on her ribs. Her hand snapped to his shoulder, gripping tightly as she tried not to move, holding her breath when she felt a slight burning sensation where his hands were._

_“You need to breathe,” he said quietly, one of his hands shifting to follow the bruising up her sternum. “it’ll feel better.” She took a deep breath, but it hitched as his hand stilled between her breasts, finding part of her sternum was fractured. She worked to even out her breathing as the burning intensified under his hand, the bone healing slowly._

_After the fracture was healed, his hand moved further up, coming to a stop at the end of the bruising. It trailed back down again, the burning less intense as he finally reached the bottom of her ribs. He held his hands still for a moment before pulling away, his shoulders slumping as he breathed heavily._

_Amethyst peered down to where the bruising had been, now fading to yellow and healing completely in most places. The area where her sternum had fractured would take longer to heal, but Qrow had obviously used a lot of energy doing so._

_A sudden wave of exhaustion ran through Amethyst again, her eyes roaming over Qrow before connecting with his own. He looked just as tired as she felt. She tuned onto her side, moving to one side of the small bed and pulling him down next to her. He laid awkwardly for a moment before she rolled her eyes, smirking and pulling his arm around her still exposed torso._

_Qrow stiffened for a moment before she felt him relax, his arm circling her waist completely, hand cradling her side carefully, so he didn’t accidently hit her ribs. Amethyst tucked her head into the crook of his neck and inhaled deeply, feeling him pull her closer. She listened to the sound of his breathing as it evened out before falling asleep herself._

_~~_

_“Do you think we should wake them up?” She heard Summer’s voice whisper as she roused, holding herself still as she heard people shuffling around the room._

_“No way,” Tai snickered, “not until I get a picture, at least. I’m never letting Qrow live this down.” She heard the camera effect on his phone before she poked her head up over Qrow’s shoulder, raising an eyebrow at the group that had returned from Vale. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see it had gotten dark out._

_Summer smirked in her direction, while Tai froze, his camera still open on his scroll as he hid it behind his back, attempting to look casual. Amethyst couldn’t decipher Raven’s expression, but Theo looked like he was bordering on hysterical laughter at the death glare she gave Tai._

_She felt Qrow stir under her, his arm stiffening again as he realized they were still cuddled on his bed before he pulled her closer, her glare wavering at the action. “You’re really not making this easy, Qrow.” She muttered, watching as Tai scanned the room for the nearest safe spot._

_“He’s a heavy sleeper,” the man grumbled, “I’ll think of something. And send you pictures when it’s done.” She smiled at the suggestion, thinking it over. Anything Qrow could think of would be better than moving right now, and she was fairly sure he wouldn’t let her. She shrugged, her head falling back to the pillow as she threaded her fingers through his hair, combing it gently._

_She heard Summer and Theo, “Aww,” behind him and flipped them off quickly as she settled back down._


	2. Patch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not completely done with this story, but figured people will want to read more in order to know what they think of it. Thus, chapter 2 is here! There will usually be a flashback in each chapter, simply for the fact that there is a lot of background to catch up with and it's necessary for where I want the story to go.

The trip to Patch had taken longer than she had hoped it would. By the time she reached Taiyang’s front door, snow had already covered the ground. She knew it’d be a long shot that she’d find what she needed here, but Taiyang was not generally one to turn away company.

Raising her fist, she was only able to knock once before her fist nearly collided with the blonde man’s face. Taiyang was distressed, that much was obvious. Amethyst felt her face contort with worry as recognition flashed over his face, along with something that looked like disappointment. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck before speaking.

“Sorry if I freaked you out a bit, I’ve been on edge lately. It’s nice to see you again, Amethyst.” His voice was strained, and his smile obviously didn’t reach his eyes. Amethyst reached a hand forward and gently placed it on his shoulder.

“It’s nice to see you too, Tai. I think it’s time we caught up.” He nodded, opening the door wider and allowing her into the kitchen. She pulled out a seat at the table, dragging her heavy backpack off her shoulders and dropping it on the floor. When Tai was finally seated next to her, she spoke up. “Oz sent me on a mission, a couple of weeks before Beacon fell. I think he knew something was coming, but he didn’t want me there. What happened at Beacon, Tai?”

Tai sighed again, running his hands over his face. Amethyst could really see his age, then, but she kept quiet and waited for him to speak. “Salem has new pawns. Cinder, the one who stole some of the Fall Maiden’s power, she finally got the rest of it. She killed Ozpin.” She swallowed harshly, her fists tightening, but let Taiyang continue. “Ozpin had another choice for the rest of the Fall Maiden’s power, Pyrrha Nikos, she was one of Ruby’s friends. They were to late to transfer it, though. Pyrrha, she- Cinder killed her, and Ruby was there. We don’t know how it happened. But Ruby, she unlocked her powers. She stopped- whatever it was that was supposed to happen that night. She doesn’t remember what happened”

Amethyst’s jaw opened and closed as she tried to think of a response. She knew of Ruby, of course. She had been best friends with Summer in their time at Beacon. The kind-hearted girl had been the first she’d met. They had hoped to be on the same team, but fate hadn’t been on their side in the forest.

After they graduated, they stayed extremely close, even if their missions kept them apart for a time. Amethyst hadn’t been surprised when Summer told her Raven had abandoned Taiyang and their daughter for bandits. As disappointed as she was, she knew Raven wasn’t the type to settle. She was even less surprised when Summer and Tai ended up together. She was nearly glued to the small girl’s side the entire time she was pregnant with Ruby, but when Ozpin called her back to Beacon, she couldn’t refuse.

Amethyst had only been able to visit a handful of times the year after Ruby was born but made sure to be the aunt Summer had always wanted for the girl. After Summer passed, she found it more difficult to face the girl who looked so much like the best friend she had lost, only coming to visit on Ruby and Yang’s birthdays, or when she needed to speak with Tai. The last three years, though, she’d been stuck at Beacon or on missions. She had expected that Ruby had already unlocked her powers, maybe even gained control over them.

“Where’s Ruby now?” Amethyst asked, the legs of her chair screeching on the floor as she stood again. If Ruby had unlocked her powers, she would need help harnessing them. Tai stood up after her, his face falling once more.

“She… she left. I went to bring her breakfast the other day and found a note that she was heading to Haven to help there. I have no idea where they are now.” He was grimacing at the thought of his daughter in the forest, barely a huntress, not knowing what to do or where to go. “I would have gone after her, but Yang needs me. She-,” He couldn’t finish his sentence, only leading Amethyst down the hall to Yang’s room and opening the door.

Taking a step inside, she barely contained a gasp when she realized the young girl’s arm was missing. Yang turned to look at her, seeing the woman who hadn’t them visited in nearly three years. Amethyst tried her best to hide her emotions, but she felt a tear slip from her eye at the thought of the pain Yang must have had to experience.

Moving to the side of the bed, Amethyst sat next to her, pulling her into a tight hug. “Hey, kiddo, it’s been to long.” She said, moving back to brush a piece of hair that had fallen into the girl’s face. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you girls when you needed me.” She sighed and looked down, not wanting to be rude.

“This isn’t your fault, Amethyst,” she heard Tai say, but she held up a hand to silence him.

Yang didn’t say anything, but Amethyst locked eyes with her and knew that words couldn’t express how she was feeling. She nodded at the girl and pulled her into another hug. “You’re so strong,” she whispered, “you’ll realize just how strong you really are soon.” She pulled back, kissing Yang’s forehead. “I love you, Yang. We’re going to fix this.”

Yang nodded, whispering back, “I love you too, Aunt Amy.” Amethyst stood from the bed, ushering Tai out and closing the door behind them.

Once they were back in the kitchen, Amethyst spoke again. “I need to know where Qrow is.” She said, swinging her bag over her shoulders, feeling her axes against her spine.

Tai reached into his back pocket, pulling out a folded parchment with her name scrawled across it messily. “He knew you’d be coming sooner or later.” Amethyst gripped the note, Tai’s hand coming up to hold hers there. “Please make sure my girl is alright.” He said, his eyes glistening.

Amethyst smiled gently, her other hand covering his comfortingly, “I always have, Tai. I always will.”

_Amy,_

_I’m hoping you read this sooner rather than later. As you know, Beacon has fallen. Ozpin is gone, and we haven’t been able to find him yet. Ruby can’t sit still for long, even though the backlash of her power has put her out for a couple of days. Soon, her and a group of friends will be travelling for Haven Academy. I won’t tag along with them, but I will follow after them. I would appreciate your help with protecting them, they’re not fully trained and I know you could assist them better than I can. You know the route to Haven, and I know you won’t take nearly as long to travel it as they will. The choice is yours, but I hope to see you again soon._

_Qrow_

* * *

 

_Summer and Amethyst walked alongside one another, giggling quietly at one of Summer’s sparring stories as they made their way to the next competition of the Vytal festival. Out of the corner of her eye, Amethyst spotted Qrow sitting on a stool at one of the vendors, fiddling with his scroll. She bit her lip before turning back to Summer, who was watching her with a knowing gleam in her eye._

_“Go get him,” she nudged Amethyst in the side, clearly sensing the other girl’s hesitation, “if you don’t, I will, and I’ll tell him alllll about your little crush.” She smirked at the glare Amethyst returned. Amethyst would have known if she was bluffing, and she clearly wasn’t._

_“I do not have a crush on Qrow,” she huffed at the girl’s responding giggle, she was a terrible liar._

_“Please, everyone saw the way the two of you were cuddled up in his bed. And both of you have refused to talk about it since. There’s totally something going on there.” Summer said, hands on her hips._

_Amethyst sighed again “Well, since you insist, I’ll ask him to join us.” She made her way to his side anxiously, brushing her violet hair out of her face and smoothing down her white, flowing skirt before approaching him. As her hands landed on the counter next to him, he looked away from the scroll in his hands, smiling lightly. He quickly decided he liked seeing her out of her battle outfit almost as much as he liked her in it. She could feel her heart flutter._

_Gathering her nerves and smiling back, she finally spoke up. “Summer and I were just heading to the next round; would you like to join us?” She asked. That wasn’t so hard. She could see the hesitation as he glanced between their shoulders to Summer, who waved in response._

_“I don’t want to intrude…” He said quietly. Amethyst shook her head, her confidence growing slightly. At least he was considering it._

_“It’s no intrusion! Really, I’d be more than happy if you joined us.” Realizing what had slipped from her mouth as the corner of Qrow’s mouth twitched up, she rushed to cover herself, “Besides, we need to check out what we’re up against, right? I’m sure Tai and Raven will be there, too.” She laughed nervously and toyed with the laces of her flowered corset, hoping he hadn’t caught her slip up._

_She missed the fond smile he gave her as he tucked his scroll back in his pocket, standing and stretching his legs. “I suppose one round couldn’t hurt.” He tried to play it off cool and Amethyst giggled, grabbing his hand and pulling him back in the direction Summer was waiting for them._

_“Glad you could finally join your team!” Summer teased as she slapped a hand across Qrow’s back. His gaze fell to the ground quickly, a small smirk on his lips._

_“Yeah, yeah,” He laughed, “shouldn’t someone be following their own advice?” He asked, drawing the attention away from him and peering back at Amethyst. She rolled her eyes and took her place between Qrow and Summer, leading them to the arena._

_“Zi and Catelin have been sparring nonstop since we got here. They refuse to let me have a go with either of them.” Amethyst knew it was because they both needed the practice more than she did. The whole team understood she could kick their butts if she had to, and they didn’t particularly enjoy being beaten in every match. “Plus, Theo met up with some cat Faunus when we docked. I think they were together when he still lived in Menagerie. Don’t ask me how a cat and a dog can actually get along, I don’t really plan on finding out.” She heard her friends laugh, Summer’s light and Qrow’s deep._

_Team AZTC was a force to be reckoned with. While they didn’t spend every minute together, they did spend most of their time practicing combat and learning how to weave all their strengths together. Their determination to work so well together was what caught Professor Ozpin’s attention, and the reason they were picked alongside team STRQ to participate in this year’s Vytal Festival._

_“Shouldn’t Theo be practicing as well? Weren’t you telling me he’s not as good at hand-to-hand? Zircon should be helping him with that.” Amethyst sighed. She knew Summer was thinking strategically, but she hadn’t been in their cabin on the boat over._

_“Theo had an… incident. In our cabin. On the boat ride here. He lost control of his semblance. Zi pushed him too far. He doesn’t want to practice today. He needs a break.” She didn’t turn back to see the looks on their faces. Finally reaching the doors of the stadium, she breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want to talk about the trip anymore._

_Pulling the door open, she smirked at the booming voices of the announcers and the shrieks of the crowd. “Tai and Raven are this way!” Summer called over the voices, leading them down to nearly the front row. She rushed ahead of Qrow and Amethyst a bit, moving into the aisle and planting herself in the seat next to Raven, smirking up at Amethyst._

_Amethyst narrowed her eyes at the girl. She knew Qrow would have wanted to sit next to his sister, Summer taking the spot meant he wouldn’t be able to seclude himself in his sister’s presence. Amethyst dropped in the seat next to Summer, leaning over to hiss in her ear, “I’ll get you back for this someday.”_

_Qrow eyed the seat Summer had taken. He wasn’t normally comfortable in social situations without Raven next to him, but he supposed Summer knew that and had done so on purpose, she was always trying to get him to open up and try new things._

_Sinking into the seat next to Amethyst, he moved his arm to sit on the arm rest, not realizing hers was already there. When their hands brushed, she pulled away quickly, scarlet covering her cheeks as she turned to look at him. She mouthed a ‘sorry’ and he shook his head, grabbing her hand and placing it back on the arm rest between them before leaning to the other side._

_As the two teams were picked, Team JSPR (Jasper) of Atlas and Team SHDE (Shade) of Haven, Amethyst settled back into her seat, eyes scanning the two teams. Team Jasper consisted of four girls while team Shade was four boys. It always made for an interesting fight._

_The battle began, a girl with navy blue hair pulling out a scythe from under her cloak, immediately shifting it to war form. She didn’t miss the mocking gaze Qrow sent her way and reached out to smack his shoulder lightly. “Sorry, not all of us women can balance with massive swords that change form.” She stuck her tongue out and he chuckled at her._

_“Because balancing with an axe in each hand is so much easier?” He teased, rubbing the spot she’d hit on his shoulder. It didn’t hurt, but he couldn’t describe the way he felt each time she touched him._

_“In fact, it is!” She retorted, her eyes focusing on the fight again. By the middle of the fight, Qrow was leaning in her direction again as he explained the way the girl was using her scythe to confuse her opponents. Amethyst truly was interested in the way the scythe worked, but when Qrow had let her test his scythe after their sparring session once, she knew the weapon just wasn’t for her._

_Amethyst could feel eyes watching them as they drew closer, trying to keep their voices down but able to hear each other over the sounds of the roaring crowd around them, but she couldn’t quite tell who it was watching them. She knew Summer would be proud of her for engaging in conversation with him on her own, but she was sure Summer would be more focused on the fight in front of them._

_“See, the way she swings it past them makes them think she missed her strike the first time, but she uses the momentum to swing it around again, it catches them off guard.” He moved closer again, their arms brushing on the armrest between them, but neither drew away this time. She nodded, smiling at him as he continued, turning her head slightly to catch Raven glaring them in her peripheral vision. Amethyst looked away quickly, focusing on Qrow’s eyes again, hoping Raven hadn’t seen her turn._

_Raven and Amethyst hadn’t gotten along from the start. It seemed as though Amethyst posed a threat once Qrow started spending more time away from Raven, but she wasn’t sure why. Choosing to ignore her for the time being, she nodded again as Qrow finished explaining._

_“What’s the best trick you can pull with those axes?” Qrow asked, picking up the conversation again. It was unlike him to be so talkative, but he had been coming out of his shell the more time they spent together. Amethyst giggled, explaining her methods the way he had just done, and by the end of the round, they were cheering together, the last member of team Jasper had knocked out two members from team Shade at the same time._

_They both shot out of their seats at the same time as the other students, Amethyst pumping a fist in the air, Qrow doing the same as his other arm wound around her waist casually, almost as if he hadn’t realized he was doing it, before they sat back down, his arm unmoving. It wasn’t until the next contestants were announced that Qrow realized his arm was around the smaller woman, and he moved to pull it away._

_Amethyst grabbed his arm back, forcing it to stay where it was, and smiled up at him, “You’re keeping me quite warm, I’d rather stay this way.” He smiled softly and relaxed again, his hand coming to hold her waist gently. She could get used to this._


	3. Kuroyuri

Jumping to her feet, Amethyst tied her violet hair tight behind her head as she heard the screech of a Nuckelavee. She had been travelling for over a week. She was constantly finding small clues from Qrow that she was on the right track, but since leaving the remains of Oniyuri, she had found nothing. Following what looked like fresh footprints, she had headed towards Kuroyuri. She had travelled for almost two days without rest before reaching the crossroads and had stopped to nap less than a mile away. She had been resting for less than an hour when she heard the eerie noise.

Pulling out her axes and swinging her bag back over her shoulders, she started back on her path, moving faster this time. A Nuckelavee never screeched that loud unless it was in combat, and no one besides Ruby and her friends had a reason to be in Kuroyuri right now.

She heard the gunshots getting louder as she moved closer, along with the screeching, the clanging of weapons and the crumbling buildings. Starting to run at the loudest of the screeches, she finally reached the archways of Kuroyuri. She made her way to the center of the town, where the sounds of fighting were the loudest. As she approached the center, though, she peered around the side of the building, looking for a familiar red cape.

She spotted the rose petals first, the girl moving through the air so fast her eyes could barely keep up, before she shot back to the ground, pinning down one of the Grimm’s arms. She watched from her spot, ready to emerge if they needed her, as a blonde boy and a long, black haired young man pinned down the other arm. She heard a shout come from the black-haired boy but didn’t realize what he had said before she saw a streak of bright pink crush the skull of the Nucklavee’s horse. She began moving forward, still in the shadows, so she wouldn’t startle the children. She watched as the raven-haired boy sliced the arms from the body of the Nucklavee, vengeance obvious on his features. She had no doubt the boy was born in Kuroyuri.

Finally, as he decapitated the menacing Grimm, she stepped out of the shadows and towards the group of hunters and huntresses. They turned, their weapons pointed, obviously still on edge and ready for another battle. She held her hands up in surrender, nodding to the group.

“That was rather impressive. Nucklavee are among the worst of the Grimm.” Ruby’s eyes widened as she took in the sight of Amethyst, running to squeeze her small arms around her aunt’s waist.

“Aunt Amy!” Her shrill voice squeaked as she pulled back again, an accusatory look covering her features. “Have you been following us this whole time? Did you watch us fight him and not help?!” Amethyst shook her head, pulling her hair down again before planting her hands on the young girl’s shoulders.

“I just got here, love. I’ve been trying to catch up with you since I heard about Beacon. It’s a bit difficult to follow a path when the crow stops leaving a trail.” She smirked lightly, but Ruby’s demeanor changed suddenly, worry flitting across her features.

“Uncle Qrow!” She exclaimed, rushing to a building opposite of where Amethyst had been hiding. She followed quickly behind, becoming worried herself. As they rounded the corner, Ruby let out a sigh of relief as Amethyst gasped at the sight of Qrow, purple venom leaking through a bandage on his side as he struggled to sit upright. Ruby approached her uncle slowly, and Amethyst stayed behind, letting them have a moment together.

“It’s quiet,” Amethyst heard Qrow strain to speak, “good job, kiddo.” Ruby smiled and turned to Amethyst before replying.

“I have a surprise for you, uncle Qrow. I think it’ll make you feel better.” She ushered Amethyst forward. Amethyst could hear the kids yelling from the town center, but she paid them no mind as she dropped to her knees next to him.

“You came after all.” She could hear the effort it took for him to speak and hushed him, her hands moving his from the wound on his side.

“I’ll always come for you, Qrow. You know that.” As she examined the wound, she recognized the poison seeping from it. “How the hell did you manage to pick a fight with Tyrian Callows?!” She exclaimed. Qrow only laughed, coughing slightly at the strain it put on his wound. She smacked his shoulder to quiet him.

Ruby rounded the corner again- Amethyst hadn’t even noticed she’d left- with a pair of men in tow. They gasped at the sight of Qrow before loading him on a stretcher, and they all headed in the direction of the airships that had landed while Amethyst and Qrow had reunited.

As the ships lifted from the ground, Amethyst took time to introduce herself to the friend of Ruby’s that had ridden alongside them before turning back to Qrow, brushing the hair from his clammy forehead as Ruby held his hand. Not long later, Juane spoke up, addressing the guards. “How did you find us out here?” He asked, shock evident in his voice.

The guard shrugged. “We were on patrol when we saw the smoke. No one’s been out here for years, we thought something might be wrong.”

Amethyst tuned their voices out, her hands patting Qrow’s cheeks lightly to keep him awake. “Stay with me,” she whispered, “I didn’t follow you half way to Haven for you to croak on me.” She saw a shadow of a smirk on his lips as his eyes fluttered again, but she knew he was too weak to respond.

“What if we don’t make it in time?” Ruby worried. Before Amethyst could reassure her, Juane called her name. They all looked up, their gazes falling on the city of Mistral in the distance. She felt a small smile come to her lips as Ruby took in the sight. The girl smiled widely, looking back down to her uncle. “We made it, Uncle Qrow.” She said. He responded with a groan and squeezed her hand gently. 

As their airships docked, they were met by medics. Amethyst greeted them before barking orders, her experience with poisonous Faunus was likely greater than theirs, and she knew Qrow’s condition would begin deteriorating rapidly if they didn’t begin treatment soon. She ushered the children in another direction, where they would find a place to stay.

When Qrow was finally patched up, she helped him limp his way back to his quarters, pulling back the covers and letting him fall into the bed. When she began to walk away, though, his hand shot out to grab hers.

“Stay, please.” He whispered, his voice weak. Amethyst smiled, leaning down to kiss the man’s forehead.

“If you insist.” She said. She heard him mumble something along the lines of ‘I do,’ but she ignored the sarcastic comment, slipping off her boots and pulling off her cloak before padding around to the other side of the bed, sitting atop the covers before turning to face him, rubbing his arm lightly. “Get some rest. We’ll wake you if anything important happens.”

His breathing evened out almost instantly, and she rested her head against the headboard of the small bed before closing her eyes as well. She didn’t plan on sleeping, but the hour of rest she’d had in the last several days was starting to wear too thin. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been like that before she heard the door creak open. Sitting up again, she turned to see Ruby with a shy look on her face.

“I can come back later, if you want. I just helped the others get settled in their rooms and I-,” Amethyst stopped her rambling, shaking her head and smiling.

“This is your room, too, Ruby. I’m just making sure your uncle gets his rest.” Ruby smiled back and nodded, rounding Qrow’s side of the bed and running a hand over his face. She looked up at Amethyst again, questions in her eyes with no idea how to phrase them. “We can talk later, get settled in for now.” Ruby nodded, seemingly satisfied for now, and moved to the desk on the other end of the room.

Glancing back down at Qrow again, Amethyst smiled at how peaceful he looked. She knew the poison had to have been burning through his veins by the time they’d reached Mistral, but he’d never complained as far as she’d seen. She still had no idea why Qrow had fought Tyrian Callows, but she was sure as hell going to get some answers soon.

She heard Ruby begin writing and focused on the sound along with Qrow’s breathing. She was no doubt writing to her father and sister. Since scrolls were out of the question until further notice, there was no other way to reach them.

When she heard sniffling coming from Ruby’s direction, she turned to see the girl’s shoulder’s shaking lightly. She stood from the bed, careful not to wake Qrow, and made her way behind the girl, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder and kissing the top of her head. Ruby wiped her tears quickly before continuing her letter.

A groan came from the bed behind them, and Ruby shot up from her chair, rushing to her uncle’s side. Amethyst watched from the desk, letting them have a moment.

“Hey,” He cleared his throat, “aren’t I normally the one saving you?” Ruby’s smile grew, and she wiped her tears again, glad to finally see that her uncle was alright. Qrow groaned again, rolling to find the other side of his bed empty before his eyes caught sight of Amethyst across the room. She smiled and turned to Ruby.

“Rubes, why don’t you get this letter in the mail and take your friends out for some food? Your uncle and I need to catch up.” Ruby nodded, placing a kiss on Qrow’s cheek before heading back to the desk. Grabbing her letter, she wrapped her arms around Amethyst’s waist again, this time with nothing to disrupt her.

“It’s good to see you again, Aunt Amy.” The woman laughed lightly and returned the hug.

“It’s good to see you too, darling.” With that, Ruby skipped from the room, her hope renewed. Amethyst turned back to Qrow, who had moved to sit up, his eyes locked on her. Moving slowly towards the bed, she smirked slightly. “You, sir, have quite a bit of explaining to do.” She fake-scolded him, sitting next to him on the bed again.

“I know, I know,” He said, a mischievous gleam in his eyes, “but first…” His hand cupped her cheek as he leaned forward. Her fingers threaded through his dark hair, their lips colliding in a desperate kiss. They hadn’t seen each other in almost a year; Qrow had been unsure if she was even alive at one point because she had gone so long without contacting him.

Moaning slightly as she felt his tongue swipe across her bottom lip, Amethyst parted her lips, allowing his tongue to slip past them and dance with her own. Pulling away only when they were out of breath, their foreheads rested against one another. “I think I need some sleep.” Amethyst murmured, their lips brushing. She was starting to feel the weight of the last 3 days crash down on her.

“That sounds like a fantastic idea.” Qrow agreed, pressing another chaste kiss to her lips before pulling away. They both scooted down the bed, Qrow pulling the woman to lay her head on his chest and wrapping his arm around her waist as they nodded off, the threat of danger no longer closing in on them.

* * *

 

_Teams STRQ and AZTC stood at the entrance to the arena where one of their teams would be selected to fight next. They had been given a break on the first day of the festival because their boat had been late arriving, but both teams were due to fight today._

_Amethyst had traded her previous lighter clothes for her black, long sleeved shirt under light blue leather body armor. It covered her shoulders, chest and torso before it descended into shorts, with a black belt to hook her throwing daggers onto. She also wore thigh high, ripped black stockings under her leather boots, along with fingerless gloves to match her armor. She left the hood of her tattered, black cloak down as she gripped both axes in her hands, watching the crowd around them cheer._

_She held her breath as the randomization began. She knew her team was prepared for whatever fight would be thrown at them. They had sparred most of the previous night, slept well and took time to eat long before they were due to the arena, but she couldn’t help but worry._

_It wasn’t for nothing, she realized, as the final selection came to a stop._

_“What’s this?!” She heard the confusion clearly in the announcer’s voice before the second one spoke, “Well, folks, for the first time in the history of the Vytal Festival, the opposing teams hail from the same academy! Beacon!” There was a wave of confusion that washed over the crowd as well, before the cheering began, louder than the students had ever heard it._

_They looked to each other wearily before STRQ was whisked away to the entrance on the other side of the arena. She heard Tai call out, “Don’t think we’ll take it easy on you!” Before they disappeared again. Amethyst took a deep breath before turning to her teammates, who looked back with the same worry and confusion in their eyes as they waited for her leadership._

_“We can do this.” She assured them. “I won’t be able to go up against Summer, but Zi, I’m sure you can take her. She moves fast. Don’t wear yourself out before you wear her out.” She turned to the other two, “I need to go against Raven. I’ll have the least guilt about knocking her down and you two are more evenly matched for Qrow and Tai.” They nodded, smiles coming to their faces as they prepared for the battle. She returned her own. “Qrow is good with his scythe but knock it out of his hands and you’ve got good odds. Don’t let him trick you. Theo,” She turned to him, her eyes soft but her voice firm, “be careful with your semblance. I know we haven’t had time to work with it, but I know you can contain it.” He nodded, his smile faltering slightly as his gaze dropped._

_She walked closer, her hand on his shoulder, “It does not define you. I know you can do this.” That was the last she could get in before the announcer’s booming voice came over the speakers again, calling them to the center of the arena. Amethyst stood between Theo and Zircon, Catelin on the end beside him. Summer stood in front of her with a mischievous smile on her face, Tai on her right and Raven on her left, Qrow the furthest away from her._

_Team STRQ’s side of the arena ended up being forests, which was helpful for them, while Team AZTC’s side was ice. Amethyst didn’t mind that, mostly because she knew Raven would stick to the forest side, but if she could get her to the ice side, her boots worked well enough that she would figure out her way around._

_“3… 2… 1… BEGIN!” She heard the announcer’s voice roar and took a step back from the team in front of her, waiting for them to make the first move.  Zircon shrugged, moving forward and swinging his halberd, effectively scattering the team in front of them. Amethyst grinned, giving him a thumb up before racing after Raven._

_Rounding a corner, she nearly ran into the woman as she was stood still, waiting for her. They smiled at each other, Raven’s more menacing, before Raven unsheathed her sword, swinging at Amethyst. She ducked under the swing, spinning one of her axes to knock Raven off her feet. Raven caught on quickly, jumping before the axe could catch her leg and stepping back._

_Amethyst straightened up again, swinging with her left hand first. Raven quickly blocked the shot with her blade, but Amethyst curved the right axe this time, hitting her in the side and knocking her down. Raven jumped to her feet again, swinging for Amethyst’s right arm before she could defend herself, knocking one of the axes from her grip. A smile came to her face again and Amethyst swung her other arm up, hitting the side of Raven’s head and knocking her down once again._

_Deciding to leave her other axe for the time being, she stayed back, waiting for Raven to get to her feet again. When she did, Amethyst reached for the daggers hanging from her belt. Raven swung fast again, stopping Amethyst and knocking her back a few feet. Her aura took most of the blow, but it still hurt._

_She stood straight again, twirling her axe in her hand and watching Raven prepare to defend herself. At the last minute, Amethyst tossed the axe to her other hand, using the blunt end and swinging up under Raven’s chin. The force of the blow sent her flying several feet, and Amethyst ran to catch her before she could stand up again._

_Raven had unintentionally let go of her sword at the impact of the blow and stood with nothing to defend herself. Not wanting to make the fight unfair, Amethyst shrugged, her foot coming up and colliding with the center of Raven’s chest, sending her flying again, through the trees and out of the arena. Amethyst heard the cheers around her as Raven’s health meter dropped and she was eliminated from the competition. Looking up to the screen, she found the Tai, Catelin and Theo had also been eliminated. With only her, Zircon, Summer and Qrow left in the competition, she headed back to the center of the arena to find the other half of her remaining team. When she reached the center, the crowd roared again, and she looked up to find that Qrow had been knocked out as well. Zircon circled behind her, out of breath and crouching, his eyes watching out for Summer._

_“Girl was too fast, Qrow’s scythe was too difficult for Catelin to handle on her own so I helped with that.” He stood up straight again, hands on his hips. He opened his mouth to speak again when a streak of white crashed into him, literally knocking him from the arena. Summer stood in front of her, her smile wide and eyes bright. Guess this tournament was going to be a first for a lot of things._

_“You know how this is going to end, right?” Amethyst asked, smiling back and crouching into position, twirling her axe once again._

_“We probably should have thought this one through before we started, eh?” Summer asked, laughing. Amethyst lunged forward, swinging her axe. Summer zipped away from the attack, throwing herself into Amethyst and knocking them both back several feet. Amethyst held the handle of her axe across her chest, using the force to push Summer off her and jumping to her feet again._

_The girls kept going back and forth. Amethyst would knock Summer down with a hard blow, but Summer would get right back up with an attack of her own. Sometimes she’d pour a bit of her silver eyed power into it, but Amethyst was ready to block the power with the blade of her axe and her aura combined. The crowd was silent with anticipation while their teams watched with wide eyes. As Summer picked herself up from another one of Amethyst’s blows, she launched herself harder, faster. Her form collided with Amethyst’s and Amethyst wrapped her arms around the girl, launching them both off the edge of the battlefield and into the side of the arena._

_The slid down the barrier and landed on the ground in a heap with a small, “oof.” Both girls sat up, realizing where they were they burst into a fit of giggles. They could barely hear the announcers as they argued over which team had won. There was a silence in the crowd as the announcers went silent and both girls’ laughter died out as they waited for the results._

_“It seems as though, for the first time in Vytal Festival history, not only were the opposing teams from the same school, but they have also tied!” The crowd booed, but they were quickly quieted by the announcers. “Ms. Rose and Ms. Lee’s health dropped at the same rate, draining at the same time. Both teams will move forward in the competition!” The crowd cheered again, and the girls stared wide eyed at each other._

_As the announcers called for a break, Amethyst and Summer helped each other up. Their respective teams ran to them, surrounding the two girls. “What the hell was that!?” Raven hissed, obviously upset. “You cost us the win, Summer!” Amethyst narrowed her eyes, ready to tell her off before Summer put her hand up to stop her._

_“You’ve seen us spar, Raven. You’ve all seen us spar. Think about it, has either of us ever actually won any of those matches?” She looked around to the two teams, both deep in thought. No one spoke up._

_Amethyst stepped forward, “The reason Summer and I didn’t go after each other in the first place is because we’ve never beat each other. Knocked each other out? Sure. At the same time. It’s always been an even match. We basically trained each other. I was counting on one of us getting knocked out by one of you, obviously that didn’t work out.” She rolled her eyes, rubbing her temples. She wasn’t in the mood for Raven’s attitude after the hit they took against that wall._

_“So, what, one of you couldn’t have surrendered? You couldn’t have figured something out? Now it looks like Beacon is cheating just to get a place in the final rounds.” Raven crossed her arms, glaring at the two of them._

_Amethyst and Summer shared a look before the former gestured to the empty combat arena in the center of the room. “Why not show them the truth?” She said. Summer nodded happily, picking up her sword from where she’d dropped it as Amethyst picked up her axe and the two moved to the stage. Their teams gathered at the front of the stage while stragglers from the previous crowd moved forward to see what the girls were doing._

_Summer struck first, Amethyst crossing her axes to defend against the strike, pushing back on the blade and Summer stumbled back before catching herself quickly. They were both worn from their last fight, but their strength was returning to them slowly. They circled each other slowly before Amethyst swung her left arm for Summer’s shoulder, almost making contact before her sword deflected the blow, curving around to strike Amethyst’s legs, knocking them out from under her. She moved quickly as Amethyst fell, summoning her power to strike her again, but Amethyst raised her blade, deflecting the power and turning to the side, barely able to stand before the sword was swinging at her again._

_Spinning to the side, she brought her foot up, connecting with Summer’s hand where it held the hilt of her sword, causing the girl to nearly lose her grip on the weapon. She’d seen it coming, though, and switched hands quickly, her own leg coming around to attempt to swipe Amethyst’s legs out from under her again. She anticipated the move as well, using the momentum Summer had given her to propel herself into a backflip, which proved rather difficult with axes in both hands, but managed to stick the landing._

_Summer lunged at her again and she kicked her own foot up suddenly, hitting her square in the chest and knocking her back again. Summer wasn’t down for long though, and her eyes glowed silver as she poured her power into her next attack. Circling behind the girl, she dealt a kick to her lower back, trying to lower her to her knees to get an advantage. Catching on just in time, Amethyst was able to move slightly forward, the kick not as harsh as it should have been, and spin in time to block the attack from her blade, now glowing silver._

_Summer pulled back and panted, Amethyst doing the same. “What?” She teased, “You think you can beat me with your special silver eyes?” Summer smiled back._

_“Of course I can, that’s why they’re special.” Amethyst froze as her semblance sparked to life and a voice whispered in the back of her mind, **‘She is unsure of how to beat you.’** _

_Amethyst had never been able to use her semblance against Summer. Her semblance only worked if someone lied to her. If she was lied to, her semblance would tell her the truth. After that, her semblance protected her from attacks by, or even commanded by, the person that had lied. Usually, her semblance would tell her how to defend herself in combat. When necessary, she could form a shield that deflected the attacks. Summer had never lied to her, thus never activated her semblance. It was part of the reason she was never able to beat Summer._

_Smirking, she stood straight again. “I wouldn’t be so sure.” Stepping back, she followed the advice of the voice in her mind. Lunging forward again, she used the blunt end of her axe to strike Summer in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She recovered quickly, zipping to the other side of the arena. Following her quickly, she smiled as she saw the girl’s eyes glowing silver again._

_‘ **Use your shield.** ’ The voice whispered. She took a deep breath. Summoning her shield always took a majority of her energy, but the deflection of the attack usually worked in her favor, so it was worth it. As Summer lunged forward again, a streak of silver energy, Amethyst activated her shield. _

_The arena around the girls lit with silver light, tinged ever so slightly with lilac, and Amethyst couldn’t tell what was happening through the pounding in her head. Her legs buckled underneath her, the last of her energy draining with Summer’s, before everything went dark._

* * *

AN: I'm sorry this took soooo long to get up! I have a lot of this story done, but I lost motivation to post for a while, and am just getting back into the mood. Expect more soon! 

 


	4. The Vytal Festival

_Amethyst groaned as she came to. Her head hurt. In fact, her whole body hurt. It felt like she’d been set on fire and put out. She moved to cradle her head, but realized her hand was occupied. She opened her eyes, squinting at the bright lights overhead._

_She heard a shuffle on the opposite side of the room, and the lights flicked off, leaving only the natural light provided by the window. Being able to open her eyes fully after several moments, she looked around. She was laying in a bed, likely in an infirmary. The room was small and there were only two other people with her. Qrow sat next to her bed, his hand holding hers gently as he watched her wake up, and Professor Ozpin stood on the other side of the room, near the light switch that had been turned off._

_“What-?” Her voiced cracked; her throat was dry, and she wasn’t sure how long she’d been passed out. Ozpin moved to the table next to her bed, holding out a glass of water that had been set there for her. She reached out with her hand that wasn’t being held by Qrow, taking a sip of the water._

_Realizing how thirsty she really was, she took a few additional gulps before Ozpin pulled the glass from her gently, a small smile on his face. “Not too much, Miss Lee, your body is still recovering. You’ll need to take things slowly.” She nodded shyly at the professor, ducking her head as she tensed slightly, trying to activate her aura to take away some of her pain. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Ozpin spoke, “Your aura is completely exhausted. The doctors are doing what they can to relieve some of the pain, but you used a significant amount of energy battling with Miss Rose. I’m a bit shocked you’ve already woken up.”_

_Amethyst’s gaze snapped to him, confusion clear on her features. “What do you mean I used a significant amount of energy? I’ve used my shield before. It’s never made me pass out like that.” She said. She felt Qrow’s hand tighten around her own and she looked to him. He looked as confused as she felt._

_“Miss Lee, could you describe your semblance for me?” Ozpin asked. She felt her eyes squint as she looked back to him. She’d never spoken about her semblance to anyone outside of her teammates and Summer, mostly because it gave her an advantage against enemies._

_Her gaze flitted to Qrow before she sighed. She trusted Qrow with her life, she only hoped he wouldn’t take advantage of the knowledge. “My semblance tells me the truth when people lie to me. It also protects me from the people that lie to me. I can use it to summon a shield against sudden attacks, or it can tell me the best way to defend myself.” Her voice lowered at the end of her explanation._

_Ozpin nodded, moving to sit on the end of her bed next to her feet. He laid his cane across his lap, clasping his hands together. “Pardon my prodding, but has Summer ever lied to you, Amethyst?” He asked, looking at her over his glasses._

_“Not until… today.” She said slowly. She was still unsure how long she had been asleep, she could only assume it was the same day. “That’s the reason I was never able to beat her. I told Summer about my semblance the week after we met. I doubt she would have lied to me anyway.” She rambled slightly before stopping herself, toying with the IV connected to her arm. Qrow moved to stop her, pulling their hands together. She smiled at him slightly._

_“As you’re aware,” Ozpin began, examining the students, “Summer has the power of the Silver Eyes, and knows how to use it. Little is known about the power of Silver Eyes, other than the legends. We don’t know how it interacts with other energies, or even how to combine it with other energies.” Ozpin paused, sighing. “Upon further digging, I was able to find one story that could make sense of what you and Miss Rose did.”_

_Amethyst pulled one of her hands away from Qrow’s rubbing her forehead and sighing. “What do you mean by, ‘what you did?’ What did we do?”_

_“Amethyst…” Qrow began softly, “do you remember what happened in the arena?” She shook her head slowly. The last thing she could remember was putting up her shield, then she had passed out._

_“When you put up your shield, Summer was prepared to attack with her power. When she collided with the shield, all the energy from her attack just… exploded. It launched all of us away from the stage. Everything went white. When it cleared, you and Summer were still laying in the center of the stage, but your bodies were glowing with aura. We weren’t even sure if we could touch you.” His eyes were crinkled with worry when he finished and Amethyst longed to caress his cheek._

_She blinked, remembering the glimps glowing sliver and purple she had caught before losing consciousness. “My shield has never done that…” She said, looking back to Professor Ozpin._

_“Like I said,” He started, pushing his glasses up, “I was only able to find one other note of this in all of the history I’ve read about the silver eyes.” He paused, mulling over his words. “You see, Amethyst, Silver Eyed Warriors possess a unique source of magic. It can only be found in those who are born of the same bloodline.” Amethyst nodded. Summer had told her what little history she actually knew about her magic. “That being said,” he continued, “there are many unique forms of magic on Remnant. Including one that was considered to be snuffed out decades ago, perhaps even a century.”_

_Amethyst didn’t know how to respond. Staying silent, she gestured with her hand for him to continue. She could feel Qrow’s hand tighten around hers again. “Silver Eyed Warriors were created alongside magical beings named Grievers. Grievers were meant to protect the Silver Eyes and fight alongside them. The combination of Silver Eyed and Grieve magic is a force unlike any other. What little information I could find on the subject told of how the pairs could wipe out miles worth of Grimm when their magic was combined. Based on this knowledge, I can only assume that Summer’s activating your semblance also unlocked the full ability of your magic.”_

_Amethyst’s jaw nearly unhinged as she attempted to grasp the knowledge Ozpin was hurling at her. After several long moments, she spoke again shyly. “We didn’t… hurt anyone, did we?” She asked, shrinking down into her bed._

_Ozpin gave her a small smile. “No, luckily no one was injured in the arena. You did, however, do a significant amount of damage to the arena itself. However, I spoke with the administration. Seeing as you and Summer had absolutely no idea what the combination of your powers would do, you will not be held responsible for the damages. Nonetheless, the two of you were prohibited from participating further in the tournament, and from sparring with each other on school grounds.” He paused. “That is, any school grounds. Including Beacon.”_

_“Wait, that’s not-,” Qrow cut her off._

_“I’d take a look at the damage the two of you caused before you say that isn’t fair.” He said, his thumb stroking over the back of her hand gently. “I’m surprised they got everything cleaned up in time to start tournaments again this morning.” He looked to Professor Ozpin, who shrugged in agreement._

_“Wait, this morning? How long have I been sleeping?” She searched the bed for her scroll before Qrow reached to the end table, handing it to her._

_“You were out all night. Your aura only faded four or five hours ago. The nurses expected you to wake up pretty soon after, they were starting to get worried last time they were in here.” Qrow explained._

_Amethyst nodded, thoughts racing through her head. “Where’s Summer? Does she know about this as well?” She asked, worry creasing her features. She wanted to be with her best friend, to make sure she was okay._

_Ozpin nodded reassuringly, “Ms. Rose woke up only a few minutes before you. Glynda is with her now, telling her the same things I’ve told you. I’m sure-,” He was cut off as the door swung open, may have even put a hole through the wall behind it, if it hadn’t been for Summer still attached to the handle. Her eyes scanned the scene in front of her before landing on Amethyst laying in bed._

_Summer’s shoulders slumped as she sighed in relief, releasing the door handle and walking carefully to the empty side of Amethyst’s bed. She was wearing a gown much like the one Amethyst donned, and she had clearly removed her IV in a hurry, most likely when rushing to the room. She climbed onto the bed next to Amethyst, resting her head on her shoulder._

_“They wouldn’t tell me how you were. I was worried.” Summer whispered, nervous at the sight of their headmaster perched at the end of her bed._

_“She just woke up, Summer, we haven’t even told the nurses yet.” Qrow snorted at the girl’s unnecessary worry. He’d expected something like this to happen, he’d even suggested the nurses put the girls in the same room, but the nurses hadn’t listened to him._

_Two nurses burst through the doorway as well, frantic looks on their faces until they caught sight of the two girls in the small bed. Amethyst shrugged and Summer shrank further into the bed, trying to hide from them._

_Ozpin peered at the nurses over his glasses. “We did suggest they room together, did we not? Very good job you’ve done keeping them in check.” The nurses blushed, moving to Summer’s side with a new IV, bag, and stand. Summer winced as they reinserted the IV and squeezed Amethyst’s other hand._

_When Amethyst looked to the door again, she saw Glynda peering in from the hallway, smiling slightly at Oz’s chiding._

_Amethyst smiled at the small girl next to her, squeezing her hand reassuringly._

_Glynda stepped in from the hallway, clearing her throat and drawing their attention. “Seeing as I hardly had time to explain to Miss Rose what happened yesterday afternoon, I think now is as good a time as any to talk about what our next steps are for the two of you.” She looked to Ozpin, nodding her head slightly._

_Amethyst felt Qrow release her hand, but she only gripped his tighter, a silent request that he stay. She turned to him, his crimson eyes locking with her lilac, and he nodded, shifting in his seat so he was closer to the bedside._

_Ozpin hummed lightly before moving to the light switch again, flipping it and waiting for Amethyst’s eyes to adjust and the throbbing in her temple to cease. “Glynda and I haven’t had much time to discuss our plans, but we have agreed that we wanted your input, seeing as they affect both you and your teams directly.” He extended his cane, leaning against it slightly as Glynda came to a stop next to him. “You’re both aware that there is miniscule knowledge for us to ascertain how your powers will manifest over time. Again, because we can’t allow another spectacle like the one last night, you will both be prohibited from sparring on any school property.” Summer scoffed, but the look Qrow gave her made her slink further into her spot._

_“As unfair as it may seem, it is in the best interest of all parties.” Ozpin gave them a small smirk. It wasn’t that he was heartless, he just wanted to protect as many people as possible. “However, we are considering giving you and your teammates another option. Something that may seem that punishment a bit less daunting.” I glanced at Summer, seeing the same confusion that creased my brow reflected in her eyes. “Should both of your teams agree to it, Glynda and I believe that you would all benefit from personal lessons. Your training would be much more rigorous, sometimes it may even seem harsh. But, you would be making up for your pain with knowledge and strength you can never obtain in a classroom.” Amethyst felt Summer’s eyes on her but ignored them, narrowing her eyes at the professor._

_“What’s the cost?” She asked. Her posture had gone rigid. Everything Ozpin was offering them sounded amazing. It was an incredible opportunity, but if there was one thing Amethyst had learned in her years, it was that those opportunities never came without a price._

_She could tell she caught Ozpin off guard with her question. He hadn’t expected a student, much less one who should be exhausted from the physical strain on their body, to question his motives. He was silent for a few moments, calculating a response._

_“While there’s no lien involved, I won’t deny your implication.” Ozpin sighed, buying himself more time to form his words. “The magic the two of you possess is nearly impossible to stumble upon these days. I can’t ignore the fact that it’s essentially fallen into our laps.” He paused, considering for a moment before he spoke again. “This magic isn’t just meant for killing Grimm. It’s meant for more, and we would be doing more harm than good if we were to let it go to waste. If we can learn how it works, it could even come to save the world one day.”_

_Amethyst turned to Summer again, this time releasing Qrow’s hand and using her own to grasp her friends’. She could see the hesitance in Summer’s eyes. The girls had only joined Beacon because they wanted to fight and save lives. They never expected to be here, sharing a hospital bed and considering the possibility of doing even more. The girls heard their professors leaving the room, suggesting they take a moment to consider, and close the door behind them._

_“Summer, if you don’t-,” Summer cut her off, shaking her head to clear her thoughts for a moment._

_“I know this isn’t what we came here for.” She started, her voice trembling slightly, “But, Amy, my whole life, all I’ve wanted was to help people. I know… I know we can do that if we become huntresses. But what he’s offering us, we’d have the chance to do so much more.” Summer’s eyes were tearing slightly, and Amethyst smiled in response._

_“You took the words out of my mouth, smalls.” The girls smiled and hugged each other, before they heard a throat clearing and turned to face Qrow again._

_“Sorry to interrupt the moment,” He laughed lightly, “but you girls know the rest of the team has to agree to this too, right?” Qrow scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “I’m not sure how excited Raven would be about the idea.”_

_Summer tilted her head, considering. “Raven isn’t unreasonable. I think she’d like the idea of the personal training. It would make us stronger and smarter. It would give us knowledge that we wouldn’t be able to get from regular classes.” Qrow nodded, she had a point, and Raven would always accept an offer if it made her stronger._

_“So,” Amethyst breathed, holding her hands out for both of her friends to grasp, “we’re really doing this?” The teens smiled in return, accepting her embrace and laughing at the sound of joy she let out._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took quite a while for me! I know something is coming, and it's taking me sooo much to write it, because I'm not sure if I'll even be able to portray it the right way!! However, I'm gonna have to suck it up! I started this story, and I need to finish it! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I love seeing new comments and kudos and knowing that people are enjoying reading this! Thank you for all your kind words! <3


	5. Ozpin?

Amethyst had woken up when Ruby turned in, but when she tried to pull away from Qrow to find her own room for the night, his grip on her tightened. “You’re not going anywhere.” He mumbled, quiet enough that Ruby wouldn’t hear. She smiled and nuzzled closer to his chest.

Qrow wasn’t always one for cuddling and sappiness, but he and Amethyst had a dangerously close bond, and a few too many close calls for him to take advantage of the time they had together. This time, he wouldn’t let her go again. Amethyst had left on her last mission without telling anyone, as Ozpin ordered. Qrow had still been undercover on his own and out of touch for weeks, but he had thought she would be at Beacon when he returned. He had been concerned when Ozpin told him about her mission. He knew the man had only wanted to reassure Qrow that she could handle herself, but it had only worried him more. When he couldn’t find her after the fall, he had left his tracks behind in case she was to come back, so she knew where to find them.

The two slept soundly that night, for the first time in months there were no nightmares to bother them. They didn’t wake until the next morning, when Ruby pounced on their bed, begging for breakfast. Qrow groaned and threw an arm over his eyes, but Amethyst laughed, sitting up and quickly being pulled away from the man and into the kitchen. There were three other teens already waiting for her, looking equally as hungry.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, reaching to pull her long, purple hair back again as she looked around the kitchen for ingredients. “What do you kids want?” She asked, pulling open the fridge, “Looks like I can make pancakes, and there’s a lot of fresh fruit in here.” She paused, looking back at the kids, whose mouths seemed to be watering at the mention of pancakes. “Pancakes it is.” She smiled, pulling out the ingredients. 

“Ren used to make the best pancakes.” Nora gushed, hanging on Ren’s shoulder as her eyes widened at the memory. Amethyst smiled again, the pair of them were adorable.

“Why don’t you come help me then, Ren?” Amethyst asked. He looked a little shocked at the suggestion before a small smile came to his face and he nodded, moving from his seat in the living room to help her in the kitchen.

By the time the two had made enough pancakes for nearly four teams, Qrow finally made his way down the stairs, hair wet having obviously showered. Amethyst was just finishing dishing the pancakes up on plates for the team when his arms wound around her waist and his chin rested on her shoulder. The room fell quiet; she knew they would have plenty of questions.

“Food first, then we can talk. We’ll make our way to Haven after that.” The teens wasted no time digging into their plates, having obviously missed the taste of a decent meal while travelling. When everyone was finished, Juane surprised everyone by doing the dishes for them. Amethyst ushered them into the living room when they were done, taking a seat on the arm rest of the chair Qrow was sitting in. He took the opportunity to place his hand on the small of her back, drawing small patterns.

She raised her eyebrows, waiting for the first question. It came from Ruby. “Where have you been, Aunt Amy? Why-,” Amethyst held up a hand, cutting her off.

“One question at a time, dear.” She smiled gently. “Ozpin sent me to Vacuo on a mission, about three weeks before the fall of Beacon. I was not allowed any contact while I was there, it would have put me in danger.” She looked to Qrow out of the corner of her eye, seeing the grim look of understanding covering his features as his hand moved to her waist. “I had no clue Beacon had fallen until I returned. When I realized the power it would have taken to freeze jabberwocky to the top of Beacon’s tower, I made my way to Patch to look for you and your uncle. The trip took me longer than it was supposed to. Hiding from Grimm is never easy, and it was even harder in the forests surrounding Vale. I didn’t make it to Patch until a few days after you had set out. So, I talked with your father and Yang, and then I followed the trail Qrow left me. That is, until there wasn’t a trail.”

She looked down to Qrow accusingly, her glare fading when she saw the apology behind his eyes. Ruby spoke up again. “While we were in Oniyuri a scorpion Faunus attacked us. We didn’t even know Uncle Qrow was following us until he saved us from him. I cut off his tail after he cut Qrow, but it was too late, he was already poisoned.” Amethyst watched as Ruby wrung her hands together. She turned back to Qrow.

“And why was Tyrian Callows in Oniyuri, exactly?” She asked, looking to the group for an explanation. Qrow’s eyes narrowed at the mention of the man and he sighed.

“I had no clue who he was until he mentioned Her. They want Ruby. The night Beacon fell, Ruby injured Cinder. We don’t know how bad, but it’s bad enough that She wants Ruby to pay for it.” Amethyst sighed, rubbing her forehead.

“This is a right mess you’ve gotten yourself into, kid.” She turned back to Qrow, a silent question in her eyes. _Has she used her powers since?_ He shook his head in return.

“Well, I’m still a bit confused on… everything?” Nora said, a question in her voice as she tilted her head to the side. Amethyst motioned for her to continue. “I mean, who are you? How do you know Ruby? Are you and Qrow _together_ , together? Because it sure seems like it. Also, why do you know about-,” Ruby slapped a hand over the red head’s mouth, effectively silencing her. Amethyst’s eyes were wide as her eyebrows shot up at the girl’s questioning. She hadn’t even been able to get in a word to silence her.

“Start at the beginning?” Ruby suggested, seeing the slightly overwhelmed look on the woman’s face. Amethyst wasn’t a teacher. She wasn’t used to being around children that weren’t Yang or Ruby, and she’d long forgotten what it felt like to be one. Explaining history was never her strong suit.

“My name is Amethyst Lee. I’m from Mistral originally, but my parents moved to Vale, so I could attend Beacon Academy instead of Haven, that’s where I met Qrow and the rest of team STRQ. I met Summer my first day. We were sure we’d be on the same team, but things don’t always work out the way you think they will in the Emerald Forest.” She shook her head, smiling at the memories of meeting her teammates.

“I was the leader of Team AZTC, but our teams spent most of our time together, much like I’m sure your teams did.” Amethyst gestured to them. She knew Ruby’s team had been separated and she was travelling with another, one who had lost a member. “I lost one of my team members, as well. My partner, in fact.” She admitted to the team, hoping they would understand and trust her.

She cleared her throat before the memories could consume her and avoided Qrow’s eyes. “Summer and I stayed friends long after Beacon. We went on missions together until she was ready to settle down and I was called back to Beacon to work with Professor Ozpin. When she was pregnant with Ruby, I dropped everything to be by her side, effectively earning the title of Honorary Aunt, much like Qrow here earned his Uncle title.” She let her hand run through his hair above the back of his neck.

“I know about Salem because I was once in a position similar to yours.” She turned to Qrow and he nodded approvingly. “Our teams were the first picked to help in this fight. We failed, we fell apart and we left this mess for you kids to clean up. That’s why I’m here now.” She stood, moving to change so they could head to Haven.

“But you didn’t answer- _oof._ ” Amethyst heard Ruby’s elbow hitting Nora’s stomach and turned again, smirking at her niece. She knew where she learned that.

“It’s complicated. A conversation for another day.” Her gaze flickered back to Qrow whose shoulders were slightly hunched, as if he was trying to avoid the glances of the students. Heading to the room again, she closed the door behind her, leaning against it slightly and letting out a sigh. She was not in the mood to discuss the years of history between her and Qrow. That was a conversation she’d much rather have with Ruby and Nora only.

She pulled open the drawers of the dresser Ruby, Qrow and her were sharing and grabbed out her grey tee, along with her matching leather pants and plum colored, gold embellished corset. She dressed quickly, pulling on fingerless gloves and thigh-high boots that matched the colors of her corset before pulling her black and gold cloak around her again, letting her violet hair loose to cascade down her back in long waves.

Qrow walked in as she let her hair down, his eyes catching how long it had grown since the last time he’d seen her. He rushed forward, swinging the door shut behind him. One of his hands settled on her hip, the other tangling in her hair at the base of her neck. He kissed her again, passionately and with a bit of desperation. She kissed back, tilting her head and bringing her hands up to cup his cheeks before pulling away slightly, holding him in place.

She smiled as she heard the whine he made at their loss of contact before resting her forehead against his. “We have children to escort.” She whispered gently, trying to catch her breath.

“They’re still cleaning up from breakfast.” He said before surging forward, catching her lips in a chaste kiss before pulling away to look into her eyes, lilac meeting crimson. “I almost thought you were dead.” He whispered, brushing his lips over hers gently.

“I almost was.” She whispered back, pressing another gentle kiss to his lips. “But that’s a story for another day, as well. Right now, we need to get these children to Haven.”

* * *

 

They had used the back roads to get to the school, happy to give the teens the scenic route, enjoying the sights they hadn’t seen together in years.

When Leo had mentioned they’d have to wait weeks to retrieve the spring maiden, though, Amethyst had known something was wrong. She had hung behind the teens when they entered the empty halls, wary of another surprise from Tyrian, or any one of Salem’s other puppets. She didn’t address Leo outside of a quick nod from under her dark hood. She wasn’t quite sure if the man recognized her. She hadn’t spoken to him since before she left Mistral to attend Beacon.

As they walked down the hallway to the doors leading out of the school, Nora spoke up. “So… what do we do now?” She asked Qrow. He sighed deeply, and Amethyst spoke up.

“You four head back to the house. We’re going to grab a drink and we’ll meet you there later.” She smiled at them as Qrow kept walking. “Make sure you get something to eat!” She called, following him through the doors.

They’d barely been sitting in bar long enough to get their drinks when a young voice called out behind them, “Uh, excuse me?” He asked. Both adults turned their heads quickly towards the sound, confusion evident on their features when they took in the small, tanned farm boy with freckles across his face.

They shared a glance before Qrow spoke up. “You know, I don’t think they allow kids in here, pipsqueak.” He said. Amethyst elbowed his stomach and heard him grunt as she gave him a small glare before turning back to the boy.

“Can we help you?” She asked. The boy paused for a moment, hesitation written across his features before he spoke to himself quietly.

“Shut up, I’m getting there.” Amethyst’s eyebrows shot up as she looked back at Qrow. She wasn’t sure what they had gotten themselves into. Qrow’s eyes were only focused on the boy. “Umm…” He paused again. “I’m supposed to tell you… I’d like my cane back?”

“Gods above.” Amethyst sighed in relief; it was Ozpin. Ozpin, who always knew what to do. Ozpin, who could help them through the standstill they were in.

Qrow’s eyes widened slightly before he nodded, sighing. He stood from his bar stool, pulling the cane off his belt where he’d been keeping it. “It’s good to see you again, Oz.” He said, tossing the cane at the young man. He caught it clumsily, accidently extending it before looking up at the two of them again, shock clear in his eyes.

* * *

 

_One more drink_ , she’d said. _You can have one more drink_. If she was being honest, she’d lost track of how many times she’d said that to Qrow since Ozp- _Oscar_ had approached them in the poorly lit bar. She understood the flood of emotions he was facing- hell, she felt them too- and she knew that the alcohol would help him process it.

And that is exactly how she ended up here, tucked under Qrow’s right arm, helping him stumble through the vacant streets of Mistral with Oscar was on her other side, seeming extremely out of his element in his dirty, tattered farmhand clothes. She knew they only had one more turn before they reached the house where the rest of the children would be waiting for them.

“Okay,” She paused, in front of their destination, turning slightly to speak to Oscar without jostling Qrow, who grumbled in response, too much, “There’s only 4 of the kids with us. I know Oz will recognize them, but I also want you to be prepared. They’re loud, and they ask _a lot_ of questions. And I can’t promise they’ll even trust you right away, having never met you and knowing next to nothing about Oz’s… powers.” Oscar gulped visibly but nodded all the same. Amethyst tilted her head to the front door, motioning for him to knock. He blanched, and she sighed. “Do you want to hold the drunk or knock on the door?”

With that he moved forward, hesitantly banging his fist on the door. He looked to Amethyst for approval and she nodded reassuringly. She heard the door open and recognized Juane’s voice when he asked Oscar if they could help him.

Oscar stuttered and glanced to the pair that was making their way towards him. “Ask for Ruby Rose.” Amethyst grunted as Qrow stumbled over his feet, standing up straighter and seeming not to need Amethyst’s support for the time being. She straightened up as she heard Oscar ask for her niece and stayed close behind Qrow in case he needed her help again.

She meant to step in when she heard the teens’ tone change and Oscar stuttering about her uncle needing help, but Qrow beat her there, smiling through his drunken stupor and yelling, “I found him!” To the students, proceeding to stumble in the front door. She stepped up behind Oscar, pushing him into the room gently and leaning against the doorframe as she watched Qrow plop onto the couch with as little grace as one could possibly manage.

She heard the footsteps echoing down the stairs even before she heard her niece’s high-pitched voice echoing into the room. “What is going on out there?! Can’t a girl read her comics in peace?” She heard, her eyes snapping to her niece when she entered the room. She could see Ruby’s eyes soften when she found her uncle on the couch. “Uncle Qrow, did you get drunk again?” Ruby sighed.

Amethyst moved further into the room, closing the door behind her and heading to sit on the arm of the couch Qrow was lying on. “That may be partially my fault.” She murmured, her arms crossing as she watched the man in question. Her thoughts were cut off when a timid voice sounded from the area she’d come from.

“You… you have silver eyes.” She heard the boy’s voice and turned to the rest of the children, gauging their reactions in case she needed to intervene. Ruby’s eyes flickered between the boy and her aunt.

“Who are you?” She asked, confusion crinkling her brow. Amethyst heard Qrow giggle like a child and swatted his leg, shutting him up.

“Well, my name is Oscar Pine.” The boy started. Amethyst smirked at the ‘wait for it’ Qrow let out when he paused. “But you probably know me as Professor Ozpin.”

Qrow could no longer contain his laughter as his body shook, and he was undeterred by the small glare Amethyst sent his way. “I did it!” He exclaimed, his excitement causing him to roll off the couch, his laughter cut off with a grunt. And, as if they needed a reminder that his semblance was still, in fact, fully functional, the leg under couch Amethyst was still perched on snapped at the same time, sending Amethyst to the floor as well with a thud.

She heard the collective gasps from the children and couldn’t contain the laughter that started when Qrow lifted his head from his spot on the floor and locked eyes with her. He was laughing as well, and soon the whole room was filled with the contagious, joyful sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, guys! I don't want to say this work is on hiatus, because I'm definitely working on it, but it will only be updated once more this month, and I can't promise when that will be. I'm in the middle of moving states, getting ready for my first semester at a new University, and finding a new job. I am working on this, and I will update when I can!! I just can't promise any dates or times. HOWEVER, once I'm settled into my new place and have my new set up, I will do a weekly update, that much I can promise! Thanks for sticking with me, I know I'm awful at keeping up. ALSO, thank you SO MUCH for the comments! It truly makes me more excited to work on and post this story, and it gives me motivation that I'm occasionally severely lacking in. That being said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Next will be a flashback, and after that the arc will actually start picking up!


	6. Changes (Part One)

_While their teams had only been training by Ozpin’s side for 3 weeks, Summer and Amethyst had made significant progress with honing their powers and grasping their abilities. But, this didn’t mean they were given free passes from their actual classes._

_Both teams still attended their usual seminars, and their private training was reserved for weekends. Both team leaders were still prohibited from sparring on school grounds, so their sessions usually took place deep in the Emerald Forest, away from civilization, where the only thing they could harm was the rising Grimm population._

_While it took a while for them to notice, both the students and the headmaster took note that the Grimm population in the area was almost double that of when the year had started. That’s why they had gathered early this Saturday morning in the Headmaster’s office, awaiting Glynda’s arrival._

_Raven and Tai stood in front of the windows behind Ozpins desk, glancing out over the courtyard and talking quiet enough that no one could catch their words, while Ozpin was speaking with Qrow and Theo about fighting with his cane- it just didn’t make sense to Qrow, no matter how hard he tried to understand- and Zircon and Catelin were perched on one end of Ozpin’s desk, watching the two leaders._

_Summer and Amethyst had lounged on the floor by the window, hopefully out of anyone’s direct pathway, covered in their respective cloaks and wishing to catch just a few moments’ more sleep. They’d pushed themselves hard through the week, coordinating their teams to work on the combinations Ozpin had helped them design the previous weekend and discussing what they could do different next session. They hadn’t expected it when Ozpin approached them Friday night, after both teams had returned to Team STRQ’s dorm, and asked them to meet before sunrise the next morning, instead of their usual meetings after lunch._

_Both girls groaned as they heard the elevator ding and felt the toe of Zircon’s boot dig into their sides. Amethyst could feel Summer standing but pulled the hood of her cloak to cover her face, only to have the entire thing ripped from her grasp in seconds. If looks could kill, Theo would have turned to a puddle under Amethyst’s glare. Instead, he laughed heartily along with Qrow, Catelin and Zircon before holding out his hand to help his partner up. Amethyst only hesitated for a moment, not long enough that anyone else would have noticed, before grasping his hand. She’d fallen victim to Theo’s semblance more than once, but she knew his recent training with Ozpin had helped him control it._

_Once she was upright, she took her place between her other three teammates, leaning her head on Theo’s shoulder and watching as Glynda exited the elevator with a third team in tow, team SUGR. The team consisted of two females- Sky and Gretchen- and two males- Umber and Russ-, as most did. The third team had joined them as part of their mission, seeing as the other two were beginners, and this mission would be too dangerous for first years on their own._

_Neither team AZTC or team STRQ had spent much time with SUGR, because team SUGR was in their fourth year, while AZTC and STRQ were in their first. While the teams had met and briefly trained together, they only knew that Sky was a renowned fighter on Sanus, even before she had been admitted to Beacon. Her skill was why she had been assigned leader of her team, and part of the reason Beacon had won the Vytal Festival, even after teams STRQ and AZTC had been eliminated._

_Amethyst stepped forward to shake hands with the other team’s leader, returning her smile. She nearly jumped at the heat of Sky’s hand, it felt as though it could burn her, before concealing her shock under her smile and stepping back in line with her team. She watched closely as Summer shook the girl’s hand as well, but it seemed Summer didn’t experience the same sensation. Amethyst could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up and felt a sort of uneasiness, but she swallowed it back as Professors Glynda and Ozpin filled the other team in on the mission._

_“There’s been an increase in Grimm population within the Emerald forest since returning from the Vytal Festival. We’re sending your teams out today strictly to thin the herds. We’ll monitor their movement over the next week and see if the increase is just a coincidence or if it could be something else. We’ll decide what direction to take next weekend, when we meet here again.” Glynda read from her tablet as she tapped the screen a few times, and Ozpin stood from his desk, pushing his glasses up his nose before speaking to the teams._

_“That’s correct. This mission is specifically to thin the herds. We don’t want you tracking them or trying to find out where they’re coming from. We’d appreciate it if the lot of you could avoid any unnecessary conflict.” Ozpin slanted his eyes, jokingly, over the tops of his glasses, looking specifically to the two first year teams. Amethyst saluted as SUGR laughed, having heard about the teams destroying the stage at the festival._

_With their instructions, the teams turned back to the elevator and made their way through the courtyard, finding their way to the forest. Summer and Amethyst lingered behind the teams, SUGR leading the way and discussing strategies with the other two teams. Amethyst couldn’t shake the uneasiness she felt as they moved further into the forest but chalked it up to nerves. She had never fought alongside a fourth-year team, and they would inevitably be leagues ahead of theirs. She felt a tug on her cloak, pulling her out of her thoughts and turned to Summer, who was watching her questioningly._

_“Are you okay?” Summer asked quietly, hoping that the rest of their teams wouldn’t catch onto their conversation. She watched as Qrow, nearest to the back of the teams, looked to them out of the corner of his eye, but seemed to ignore them._

_Amethyst nodded, but her eyes darted back to Sky before returning to Summer. “Just nerves, I think. Sky is one of the best fighters on Sanus, I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of her.” She shrugged, pulling her axes out of their holster on her side and making sure her ammo clips were full. Summer nodded in acceptance, pulling out her sword as well._

_The teams came to a stop several leagues into the forest, and Amethyst returned to Theo’s side to discuss with Sky and Umber where they would go next, when Amethyst heard something rustle in a bush behind her and her partner. She saw his faunus ear twitch and knew he’d heard it as well, and reacted quickly, turning to swing her axe in the direction the rustling had come from. She caught the Grimm by surprise and killed it easily but backed into the area they were their teams had circled, straining her ears to listen for more._

_“Pack of Beowolves to the west!” She heard Sky yell, as the thundering sound of footsteps got closer._

_“We know how many?” A man’s voice yelled back._

_“At least seven!” She returned. Amethyst heard her unsheathe her own weapon as she concentrated harder on the sound she heard above the Beowolves’ howls._

_“Shit.” She cursed under her breath as Theo turned to look at her, “Nevermore’s, south!” She yelled, turning to her teammates, “Catelin, up!” she pointed to one of the branches just above them and crouched, bracing for the impact of Catelin’s boot meeting her shoulder. She straightened as they made contact, giving her an extra launch as she jumped, her hands hooking around the lower branches, so she could climb to the top._

_Amethyst turned to watch as team STRQ held off the first wave of Beowolves, her eyes locking with Sky’s. “Think you can do that again?” She asked, motioning to Gretchen with her long bow._

_“As long as she can make the jump.” She said, watching the girls nod to each other before pointing out another tree and launching the older girl the way she had her teammate. Gretchen had no problem reaching the branch, perching so she had the best view of the Grimm above._

_Amethyst turned as she heard a snarl from behind her, swinging her axe and cleaving through the middle of a smaller Grimm that had separated from the pack before she turned her attention to the rest, moving to Summer’s side to close the gap between the small girl and Zircon._

_“There’s more coming!” Summer yelled, “Looks like an Ursa, as well. I can’t see all of them.” Amethyst nodded, swinging again looking past the front line where they were attacking, seeing what could have been an army behind them._

_“There’s more here than we’ve seen in our time training. This can’t be normal.” Amethyst mumbled as she curved her axe into the head of the beowolf nearest her. Summer nodded, her expression worrying._

_The teams fought wave after wave, their ranged members picking off the airborne Grimm easily, but the influx of Grimm seemed endless, and the teams were growing weary. Amethyst backed away from between Summer and Zircon, the teens moving to close the gap between them again, and moved alongside Sky, who was swinging effortlessly at the Grimm in front of her._

_“We need to think about retreating” Amethyst greeted her, attacking an Ursa that rumbled from behind them. “We’ve been at this for too long, everyone is starting to get exhausted. We can’t afford a mistake with this many Grimm around.” Sky nodded in agreement._

_“When there’s a break in Nevermore, we need to head back, we’ll have to find a way to get rid of the Beowolves after that.” Sky yelled to the teams, spearing the Beowolf in front of her before turning to assess the remaining Grimm._

_It seemed like time stopped as they heard a scream from one of the trees. Both girls whipped around quickly and watched as an unusually large Nevermore clutched Gretchen in its talons, Catelin stumbling but catching herself before she could fall from her branch._

_“No!” Sky screamed, sprinting in the direction the Nevermore headed. Amethyst took off after her, yelling for her to wait, but the girl wouldn’t listen. She followed Sky to the edge of the cliff beyond the forest, jumping to tackle her down before she could launch herself off the cliffside. The girl struggled under her before Amethyst spoke._

_“You can’t help her if you’re falling to your death, Sky!” She yelled, standing to offer her hand to pull her up. They watched as the Nevermore circled around, still clutching the smaller girl in it’s talons as it neared them again. She heard their teams break through the tree line behind them and turned._

_“We need to bring that thing down.” She started, watching the Grimm from the corner of her eye while she spoke. They needed to work fast. “Summer, you’re the fastest. If Catelin can hit it with her spear from the tree and catch its attention, you can catch it by surprise from behind. If we can get it grounded, Qrow can take its head off with his scythe. Raven, we need someone to keep watch in case any Grimm come from the forest again” Summer nodded as Raven retreated into the woods, and Catelin disappeared in a flurry of rose petals before they could see her perched on a tree branch in the path of the flying Grimm._

_Amethyst looked to Qrow standing to her right, who was looking at her hesitantly. “You sure this is a good plan?” He asked quietly “We’ve been lucky. My semblance could act up any minute.” She smiled to him reassuringly._

_“You can do this.” She said, feeling bile rise in her throat as the feeling of uneasiness hit her full force, but she kept her face neutral before she turned to Theo. “Back him up. If anything goes wrong, you need to use your semblance.” The faunus blanched, a question in his eyes before he nodded, following Qrow back into the tree line to wait for the Grimm. Amethyst turned to Sky again, who was watching as the Nevermore reached the cliffside, heading straight for the trap they’d set. Her eyes followed the beast._

_Their plan should have worked flawlessly. In any fight they’d ever encountered, the same plan would have worked smoothly. And for years to come, Qrow would blame the ugly head of his semblance for the failure that none of them, even the most experienced, could have expected._

_Amethyst, Sky, Russ and Umber watched as Catelin hit her mark on the Grimm, and Summer appeared again; slamming into the Nevermore’s back and hurling it to the ground. What they didn’t expect was the beast rearing back just seconds from impact, as Summer was thrown from its back. Qrow rushed forward, trying to swing for the Grimm before it could take off again, but was only able to clip its wing, sending it spiraling over the edge of the cliff._

_All three teams watched with varying levels of shock as the Grimm’s talons released Gretchen, only for the girl to fall to the shallow waters below the cliffside. Amethyst had to turn away before the girl’s body made impact with the water below, but she could feel bile rising in her throat again. The students didn’t have time to blink before they could hear the Nevermore screech and turned to watch it circle back to where they were standing, frozen._

_The Nevermore dipped again as it approached the students, this time piercing it’s razor sharp claws straight through Theo’s shoulder, ripping him from the ground as he let out a pained shriek, the sound piercing Amethyst’s ears as she sprinted to where he previously stood. She watched as Catelin aimed to spear it again, only for the Grimm to swoop closer to her, knocking her off balance and nearly causing her to fall from the branch before it turned one last time, heading over the edge of the cliff again._

_She heard Sky’s choked sob and turned to see tears streaming down her face. Amethyst looked to her, pleading silently for the older team to do something, anything, to help her partner._

_“I’m sorry,” The girl said, her voice choked before she turned back to the cliffside. “Things weren’t supposed to happen this way. Just tell Ozpin… I made the right choice.”_

_With that, Sky followed the Grimm over the side of the cliff, using a boulder to propel herself into the air. She landed atop of the Grimm, gripping its wing with one hand, as fire erupted from the palm of her other. The flames seemed to come to life, wrapping around the Grimm and seemingly swallowing it, along with Sky and Theo, who was still dangling from the talons of the beast._

_The teens, what remained of them, watched in shock as the smoke of the Grimm disappeared, and nothing was left of the two students. Their silence was cut as Amethyst let out a pain-filled wail, falling to her knees and clutching her head with both hands._

_Everything burned. Her whole body was burning. It was the same sensation she’d felt when her and Summer’s magic had collided, tenfold. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jerked away, falling to back as she let out another shriek. The hand had felt like a branding iron on her already burning body. She could hear the muffled sounds of her team and her friends around her but jerked away from anyone that tried to touch her again. Her body was writhing in pain from the invisible flames as the students watched, all seemingly in shock and none sure what to do._

_Summer was the first to snap out of it, turning to the rest of the teams. “Scroll! I need a scroll! We need Ozpin!” She fumbled, watching as her teammates came back to life, Tai the first to reach his device and toss it to her quickly._

_Before she could dial the headmaster’s number, Raven breached the tree line again, sprinting with Ozpin and Glynda in tow. There was an audible sigh of relief at the sight of the headmaster before Amethyst screamed in pain again, drawing their attention and making the elders run even faster._

_“What’s happened?” Glynda shouted to the students as Ozpin dropped to his knees beside the screaming girl. “Where are the rest of your teammates?” Summer could feel tears welling in her eyes as she dropped to her knees next to her best friend, careful not to touch her and warning Ozpin of the same. He nodded gratefully as he tried to assess the situation visually._

_Qrow was the one to answer, not able to keep still hearing Amethyst’s pained cries. “A giant Nevermore attacked us out of nowhere. We had no problem keeping the Grimm at bay until it came along. It grabbed Gretchen-,” He paused, choking on the name as he remembered her body falling, “We tried to bring it down, but it was too powerful. By the time I clipped its wing, it was already over the edge. We couldn’t save her.” He stopped for a moment and Glynda spoke._

_“There’s three students missing, that only accounts for one.” She stated, her tone disturbed at the mention of Gretchen’s death._

_“Yeah, that should have been the end.” Tai spit, devastation clear in his tone. “The thing came back for more. It grabbed Theo by the shoulder and tried to take off again, but Sky… She jumped onto its back and-,” he paused, clearly at a loss for words. “She engulfed it in flames… all of it. Even Theo and herself. I’ve never seen anything like it before. I didn’t know it was possible to control elements with your semblance.” The students watched as Glynda’s face fell and paled nearly two shades._

_“That’s because it’s not possible, Mister Xio Long.” The students heard Ozpin speak for the first time as he reached up, moving to press his palm to Amethyst’s cheek._

_“She can’t be touched!” Summer warned again. Ozpin shushed her gently before placing his palm on her cheek. His palm glowed green as the girl stopped writhing, but she was murmuring softly, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. The students watched as she opened her eyes again, their usual lilac now a fiery red as they nearly glowed._

_Ozpin’s voice was nearly silent but compelling as he spoke to her, making all the students lean in just a bit closer so they could hear. “What is she saying, Amethyst?” He asked, never breaking eye contact._

_The students could hear Amethyst’s voice, but below that they heard a second, even though it was barely audible. “She says… she made the right choice.” With that, Amethyst’s eyes faded back to lilac before slipping closed, and her body slackened, falling to the ground again. The man turned to Glynda, concern clear in his eyes as she looked back, shock lining her features._

_Qrow was the first to break from his shock, pushing Ozpin from her side and circling his arms under her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. Her body was still limp, and she remained undisturbed. “What did you do to her?” He snapped at Ozpin, his eyes never leaving her face, “Why won’t she wake?” He heard a sigh as Ozpin stood to return to Glynda’s side. Qrow could see Summer moving on the other side of Amethyst but he couldn’t look to her._

_“Qrow, we need to return to Beacon. Amethyst needs to be taken to the infirmary. We can speak more there.” Glynda said. Qrow saw several teammates move forward to help with the girl’s body, but he wrapped his other arm under her knees and lifted her quickly, causing the others to back away again in surrender._

_“I’ve got her.” He stated in a clipped tone, passing the others and heading for the school again, his steps quick but careful as not to jostle the sleeping girl._

* * *

**I had to split this in two chapters because; one, it's a lot. And two, I'm not sure if I'm pleased with the end of this scenario and I want more time to possibly change it. Anyway, thank you SO MUCH for the kudos, comments, and bookmarks. I do see you guys and I appreciate you so much. I'm all moved into my new place and hopefully I'll be able to start back up with this within the week! Part two should be out by next week, I'm not gonna give myself too long to overthink this. Thank you again! I love all of you!**


	7. Changes (Part Two)

**_“Amethyst?” She could hear Sky’s voice, clear as day. She had seen the girl die… hadn’t she? How long ago had that happened? Where was she?_ **

**_Turning towards the voice, she saw the girl standing in front of her. However, that was all she could see. She was surrounded by darkness all around, Sky seeming to be the only source of light near._ **

**_“Where are we?” She asked, her voice echoing in the endless black. Sky laughed quietly._ **

**_“Strange, isn’t it?” She looked around before speaking again. “I haven’t got much time. And, I don’t have many answers, so I’m just going to tell you what you need to know.” Amethyst tried to question her, but the girl held her hand up, cutting her off. “Just listen. What I did to the Nevermore… it wasn’t just my semblance, or my aura. It was magic. Magic that was gifted to another woman long ago, before you or I existed. This magic has been passed on through generations of women. It’s the magic of the Summer Maiden. The magic is the reason I can speak with you now._ **

**_“When a Maiden dies, the last person in their thoughts, if it’s a woman, is meant to be the next recipient of the magic. I you were the last person I thought of, because I believe you are the best choice for the next Summer Maiden. However, there is already magic within you that is fighting with the Maiden’s. They cannot both be exploited at the same time. While you are a Maiden, your Griever power will remain dormant. However, if there is any instance that your Griever power is your only option for survival, the power of the Maiden will leave you, and find a new host.” Sky’s voice began fading, as did her shape, and Amethyst opened her mouth again, her mind filled with questions that she couldn’t make into words._ **

**_“Amethyst, I’m sorry you didn’t have a choice in this.” Her voice faded further. “I must leave, but Ozpin will take care of you now. He will answer your questions. I believe in you.” With that, Sky faded into the darkness, and Amethyst was left alone with her questions._ **

* * *

 

_It was around lunch the next day when Amethyst began stirring in the infirmary. Team STRQ and what remained of her team had refused to leave her side once the doctor had deemed there was nothing physically wrong with her; only after he’d stepped into an office with Professor Ozpin, following a routine examination. Because it was Sunday, none of the students had to worry about missing their lectures or falling behind on class. They would have stayed with her anyway, if that hadn’t been the case._

_Summer was seated in one of the chairs to the right of her bed, her upper body draped over the bed as she laid with her eyes closed. She wasn’t sleeping, but she didn’t want anyone to bother her. She couldn’t get the sound of Amethyst’s pain filled screams out of her head. Qrow was seated on Amethyst’s other side, his hand gripping her own gently, stroking his thumb along the back of it. His eyes wandered from the heart monitor she was hooked up to, to the girl on the other side of the bed, and to his sister, who had opted to sit on the floor next to him. He didn’t want to sit still, but he couldn’t leave Amethyst’s side, so his eyes never stayed on one object for too long._

_Tai was curled up by Raven’s side- a place he could be found more often than not, these days- trying to sleep. It was difficult in his position, along with the images flashing behind his eyes from the day before. Zircon and Catelin were curled together against the wall across from Amethyst’s bed, Catelin’s head buried in the boy’s jacket. Occasionally, quiet sniffling and whimpers could be heard coming from them, but no one could blame them with all they’d been through._

_Qrow was the first to notice Amethyst waking, her fingers twitching in his grip before tightening around his own. When he looked to her, he found her eyes were just barely open; no one would have noticed she was awake if he hadn’t been holding her hand. He waited for her to scan the room, not wanting to alert anyone if she wasn’t ready to face them yet. Finally, her eyes opened fully, and she looked to Qrow again._

_“I want to talk to Ozpin.” Her voice rang clearly and all the heads in the room snapped to her bed. Her eyes were red again, but they were fading between colors, never seeming to fully change from lilac to red, or red to lilac. Summer breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her best friend awake but tensed when she saw her eyes._

_“Amy, are you feeling alright? You were in a lot of pain back there-,” Amethyst cut her off before she could ask anymore questions._

_“Summer.” Her voice was sharp but pleading. “I want to talk to Ozpin.” The smaller girl nodded, moving to get up before Raven stood, brushing off her skirt and turning to Summer._

_“I’ll get him.” She said with a clipped tone. There was none of the usual anger she directed at Amethyst, but she wasn’t going to celebrate that quite yet._

_The room was silent until Raven returned with the headmaster in tow, but Amethyst had used her other hand to grasp Summer’s, apologizing silently before turning her eyes back to the doorway. When the silver haired man walked through, the remaining students stood from the floor and brushed themselves off, moving to the door._

_“No. Everyone stays. Everyone needs to know what’s going on.” Amethyst’s tone was much the same as when she had woken up. “They get to have a choice in this.” Ozpin nodded, his eyes understanding as he perched on the end of her bed._

_“Alright, where shall I begin?” He asked, his head turning so his eyes met her own._

_“Maybe start with what happened out there.” Memories flashed behind her eyes every time she blinked, her thoughts a jumbled mess as she was still adjusting to the magic within her. She could feel the unnatural, almost ethereal, warmth along her aura._

_“I suppose you’re not asking about the fighting.” Ozpin stated, his brow quirking. Amethyst nodded, staying silent. “Alright, how many of you have heard the Story of the Seasons?” He paused, watching as only Summer and Catelin nodded their heads. Amethyst had heard the story as well, but she knew Ozpin hadn’t been asking her. She already knew where the story was going._

_“Well,” Ozpin continued for those who hadn’t head the fairytale, “The story tells about a man who was visited by four young women; each of which were kind in their own way. In return for their kindness, the man gifted each of them great powers, turning them into the embodiment of the four seasons. They travelled through remnant, sharing their gifts.” Ozpin sighed, his eyes cast to the floor._

_“The man those girls visited, was me. I gifted the original maidens their powers.” Raven, Zircon and Tai only blinked at the man, the revelation settling in before confusion spread across their features. Summer’s head snapped from Amethyst to Ozpin, confusion creasing her brow._

_“But the Story of the Seasons is ages old, it was told before we were even born.” Confusion laced her tone before her eyes widened as the man nodded._

_“That’s right, and I will explain that once I’m done with Amethyst’s first request.” He pushed his glasses up again, “The maidens aren’t exactly a secret, if you’ve heard the right stories. But, we’ve tried to let them be that; stories, fairytales from long ago. You see; when the wrong people found out about the maidens, they were hunted. Everyone wanted a chance to have the power. We discovered that the last person in the maidens’ thoughts, if they fit the right category, would be the next to receive their power. Often, if the maiden was killed, the killer would be the last person in their thoughts, thus being the next person to receive the powers.” Ozpin glanced around the room, watching the faces of the teens around him. Most remained confused, except Amethyst._

_“After a while, I lost track of the maidens. Clearly, whoever possessed them wasn’t using them for evil. I hadn’t heard anything about them for nearly three decades, until five years ago.” He stopped, turning to Amethyst again. “Five years ago, a young woman named Sky Labelle fought in a tournament in Vale, becoming the youngest woman to win. She fought several more times, holding her title as champion. I watched from a distance, but I had my suspicions. When she applied for Beacon, I asked her about the Story of the Seasons as well. As it turns out, the power of the Summer Maiden has been passed through her family for years; her mother passed the powers to her when she died on a mission just before Sky’s first tournament.” Ozpin was silent once again, waiting for the students to absorb everything he had laid out before him._

_“So, Sky had the power of the Summer Maiden?” Raven asked, her eyes locked on Amethyst though the question was for Ozpin. Amethyst nodded as Ozpin verified the question._

_“And the power of the maiden goes to the last person in their thoughts?” Qrow asked, his eyes on Amethyst as well._

_“So long as that person is a young female.” Ozpin confirmed, standing again and leaning against the doorway, so he had a better view of the students._

_Summer tightened her grip on Amethyst’s hand, their eyes meeting. “So, Amethyst is the next Summer Maiden.” She whispered. Amethyst nodded, squeezing her friend’s hand in return. “Well, I guess we’ll have to get used to having two Summers around.” Amethyst snorted as her friend giggled, but quieted when a rush of heat coursed through her aura._

_“There is a bit of a problem, though.” Amethyst turned to Ozpin again, who raised his brows in question. “I already had magic within me. I can’t use my Griever powers while I host the maiden’s powers.” Ozpin’s brow furrowed; he hadn’t considered what would happen, should the host already have magic within them. “The reason the transfer was so painful was because they were battling for control. Sky explained it to me. The Summer Maiden will hold dominant, unless my life is dependent on my Griever power.” Ozpin nodded, but Qrow gave her a confused glance._

_“What do you mean Sky explained it to you? Did you know she was a maiden before we left?” He asked accusingly._

_“No, Qrow. I didn’t even know this was real until I saw it in front of me. I can’t explain how, it just- Magic. That’s the only explanation I have.” She shrugged, her eyes apologetic. She knew Qrow was confused, but she didn’t have the answers for him._

_Ozpin cleared his throat from the doorway. “As Miss Rose suggested, the power of the Maidens was created ages ago, before even your grandparents were born. And yes, I was the creator. As a penalty of my past failures, I’ve been cursed. I have lived many lives, my soul inhabiting other bodies to keep me alive.”_

_“The Man with Two Souls.” Qrow whispered as Ozpin paused._

_“Yes, something like that.” He nodded. “The magic of the Maidens, along with Silver Eyed Warriors and Grievers, was created to help defeat something bigger. Something more evil than Grimm. But each time, we fell just short.”_

_“Wait, what do you mean more evil? What have you been fighting?” Tai asked from his spot next to Raven._

_Ozpin sighed from his place in the doorway, contemplating whether the children were ready for what he needed to tell them. Without any other option, he conceded. “You’re all aware of the Brother Gods?” Ozpin asked, waiting for the students to nod, “It’s told that the Elder Brother created light- plants, water, wildlife- while the Younger Brother created darkness- fire, famine, and Grimm. But the Brothers came together to create humanity.” He paused, his eyes locking with each of the students._

_“The tales don’t mention the Younger Brother’s final creation. His last attempt to defy his brother and create something that could destroy everything they had created, even humanity. Her name is Salem.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh! Okay I'm still not sure how I feel about this, but I wanted to get it out sooner rather than later! I think I just feel weird about ending with that line, but everything you need to know for what happens next is all here, so I think I'm okay with it. I guess we'll find out! Either way, thank you again, SO MUCH for the kudos and comments! I appreciate you all so much.


	8. A Promise

Amethyst sat across from Oz- Oscar, the boy eyeing her cautiously over the brim of the water glass he sipped from, as she waited for him to set down the glass.

The students, along with Qrow, had yet to wake up. It was barely even light out and the house was never usually moving about until midmorning. However, Amethyst had barely slept the night before, conversations between her and the… well, child, had played through her mind a hundred times before she finally hauled herself out of bed, intending to make breakfast for everyone.

Amethyst hadn’t spoken with Ozpin since before Beacon fell. She’d never reported on her last mission, and she knew he’d want answers. That’s why she wasn’t surprised when the boy had padded his way into the room silently, taking a seat at the large table in the dining room. She’d simply asked if he needed anything, filling the glass of water he’d asked for and taken her seat.

The boy was silent for a few more moments before he nodded, catching Amethyst’s attention. He finally spoke up. “Ozpin says he’d like to talk to you.” He said, his head tilting as, she assumed, he listened to the man’s voice.

“Color me shocked.” She replied, the corner of her mouth lifted sarcastically. “Go ahead. Do… whatever it is you have to do.” She motioned. After a moment, there was a flash of light in the boy’s eyes before they faded to the color she had been familiar with from years of working with the man.

He observed her quietly for a moment, and Amethyst could even see the change in the boy’s posture, mocking the man she’d worked with for as long as she could remember. He smiled slightly, “Your mission?” He asked.

Her smile fell instantly, recalling her months before the Fall. “It’s safe.” She spat, crossing her arms.

The boy nodded. “I guess I’ll have to accept that, for now. So long as the relics are secured, we only need to worry about finding the Spring Maiden.” He drank from the glass in front of him.

“I told you, I know where the Spring Maiden is. We shouldn’t have a problem with her.” Amethyst scowled.

“Yes, but you refuse to tell me more than that, so apparently I need to take measures into my own hands.” Ozpin mused.

Amethyst’s fist hit the tabletop harder than she’d meant, making her flinch. “If she wants to be found, she’ll come to us. It’s her choice. At least, that’s what you told me. Or are we not giving people a choice anymore?” Amethyst asked bitterly, watching as Ozpin narrowed his eyes at her.

“You know as well as the rest of us that Cinder will do anything in her power to find these relics, what makes you think she’ll give the Spring Maiden the same choices we will if she finds her first?” He asked, his eyebrows raised.

“It doesn’t matter.” Amethyst muttered. “If she wanted a part in this life, she would have stepped up when I found out who she was.” Ozpin clicked his tongue.

“That sounds shockingly similar to someone we know.” Amethyst’s eyes snapped to him. “Qrow spoke with me about his meeting with Raven on his journey.” Amethyst’s eyebrow quirked, they hadn’t had time to catch up since they’d set foot in Haven. “Oh, he didn’t tell you? Raven knows where Spring is, and she won’t tell us. It may make our lives that much easier if you do.”

Amethyst could hear a door open from upstairs, and turned away from the boy, listening to the footfalls. She could tell it was Qrow by the way he stumbled, and she waited as he made his way down the stairs and into the dining room.

Looking between the two, he groaned. “It’s that time already?” He asked. Amethyst rolled her eyes but looked back to Oscar.

“Raven knows where Spring is, and Spring will stay there unless she decides otherwise. I promised she would be safe from this, and you won’t make me a liar.” She could hear Qrow scoff as he sat beside her. “And I would appreciate it if you let me know next time your sister drops by for a chat.” She added, her tone clipped.

Qrow blinked at her. He wasn’t quite awake enough for this conversation, but he cleared his throat, gathering his thoughts. “Raven showed up at a bar I was in while I was following the kids.” He explained. “She wanted to know if Salem had the Relic. We’d seen the damage the Tribe left behind in Shion… The damage was beyond anything the Tribe could have done on their own. She wouldn’t tell me that she knew where Spring was, but it was clear what hit that town.”

Amethyst sighed, her elbows landing on the table as she rubbed her temples. She had a feeling Ozpin hadn’t told Qrow what her mission was, but at this point he had the right to know. “Look, Ozpin. You sent me to make sure my relic was safe, and I did that-,” Ozpin cut her off, his tone bitter.

“So you say, but you won’t tell me where you hid it, will you?” He snarked, sounding so much like the child whose body he’d inhabited.

“If you gave me a good reason to, maybe!” Amethyst nearly shouted, her fist landing on the table again.

“You two need to keep it down or we’re going to have a lot of explaining to do.” Qrow intervened, motioning to the stairs that led to the sleeping teens’ bedrooms. Amethyst nodded in response and took a deep breath.

“Let me talk to Spring.” She sighed, her tone resigned.

“So, you do know where she’s at?” His eyebrows raised, taking another sip of water.

“If you’d let me finish.” She bit out, waiting for him to quiet. “My relic is safe. And yes, I know where Spring is. Let me talk to her, convince her that this is the right choice. I’ve a better chance than the two of you, anyway.” She glanced at Qrow, who looked both worried and confused.

“She’s got a point, Ozpin.” Qrow muttered, his eyes turning to the boy across from them. “Spring most likely doesn’t know either of us. If Amy has already met her, spoken with her, she has the best chance of convincing her to join us.”

Ozpin was silent for a moment before nodding, though he didn’t look very pleased with the decision. “Very well. But you need to understand, Amethyst, if Spring’s relic is compromised, we will all be in danger.” Ozpin spoke, his tone ominous.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Amethyst mumbled, standing from the table. “I’m making breakfast.” She said, turning from the men and into the kitchen.

Ozpin watched after her until she began making noise in the other room, turning back to Qrow, who clearly had a lot to say. “Qrow-,” He was cut off by the other man, his tone angry.

“You sent her to Vacuo alone? To take her relic _out_ of the vault _created to protect it?_ When you knew Salem was planning something?!” He seethed, clearly rhetorical, but Ozpin tried to speak anyway.

“I know-,” He was cut off again.

“No, Ozpin. You know Amethyst would do anything, put her life on the line, risk her safety for you if she thought it was absolutely necessary. But this? This was not necessary. You knew I would be back within days. You knew I could have gone with her, protected her, but you left me in the dark.” His voice was rising, but he kept it down enough so not to startle the students that would be waking soon.

“Amethyst handled her mission just fine, obviously. I needed you for-,” He found himself cut off once again, Qrow’s tone near murderous as he spoke.

“I don’t care that she was fine, Ozpin. She was never given a choice in this, in _any_ of this. She does your bidding without question because she trusts you, but I made my promise to her, and you can’t even be bothered to let me keep it. I don’t care that she was safe. She’s mine to protect, and if that means disobeying your orders in the future, don’t think I won’t do it.” His eyes never left the other man’s face as he spoke, his breath deepening as he tried to control his anger.

“You made a promise to me as well, Qrow, don’t think I’ve forgotten.” Ozpin said, his gaze narrowing slightly.

“Yeah, but I didn’t bond that promise with my soul, so don’t think it’ll come before the one I did.” Qrow spat, standing from the table before turning to Ozpin again. “I do what you ask of me because I trust that you know what’s best for humanity, but if she believes something different, I will make the choice that is better for her in the end. Always.”  

With that, Qrow exited the room. Ozpin listened as he moved through the kitchen and up the stairs again, only pausing for a moment in the kitchen. He stood from his own seat and moved into the kitchen himself, leaning against the counter.

Amethyst stalled, glancing at him but averting her eyes quickly. “He wasn’t going to tell you about that.” She mumbled, reaching into the cabinets for her ingredients. Ozpin sighed and rubbed his temple. It was taking a lot of energy to be at the forefront of Oscar’s mind, controlling his body.

“I suppose I don’t have to remind you that forging a soul bond is extremely dangerous.” He stated, looking up to her.

“It’s a bit late for warnings.” She switched on the stove and pulled out a pan, placing it over the heat. “We knew what we were doing, Ozpin. You told me it’s not uncommon for a maiden to forge a soul bond. We both agreed that it was time. It was going to happen sooner or later. We chose sooner.” She shrugged, pouring the pancake batter into the pan after it had heated up.

“When?” Ozpin asked, shocked that he hadn’t noticed the bond sooner. He had expected it to happen, but he had expected them to come to him when they decided.

“A week before Summer told us that she was pregnant with Ruby.” She still refused to look at him.

Amethyst and Qrow had just gotten back from their mission. They’d been hunting Grimm outside of Kuchinashi, just south of Mistral. The Grimm population was slightly increasing, and most of the huntsman in Mistral were on missions in other areas. While they were fighting, Amethyst had slipped- Qrow blamed his semblance- and was caught off guard by an Ursa, barely able to fight it off before her aura gave away. She’d felt the claws scrape over her cheek before she closed her eyes, waiting for the next strike. But it didn’t come. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the black smoke as the Grimm was destroyed, Qrow standing just beyond it.

Once they returned to the inn where they were staying, Qrow had pulled her straight to their room, asking if she remembered when Ozpin had talked to them about soul bonds. Of course she did, and when he’d asked if she’d considered anyone, she was only slightly nervous to admit she’d only ever considered him.

Ozpin looked as though he wanted to say something else, but they heard the teens moving through the hallway and he let it go, nodding before his eyes flashed again and Oscar returned to the forefront of his mind.

“They don’t need to know about any of this.” Amber whispered quickly as Oscar’s eyes widened, but he nodded in response, turning into the common room so he could gather his thoughts.

Amethyst greeted the hungry students, handing a plate of pancakes off to Ren, the only one she trusted to distribute them fairly. She soon noticed Ruby lingering in the doorway between the kitchen and dining room. “What’s on your mind, Red?” She asked, piling another plate with pancakes.

“Are you… Are you going to leave again soon?” She asked. Amethyst could see her eyes shimmering as she tried to hold back tears, and Amethyst’s heart nearly broke at the sight.

“Just for a little while.” She watched as Ruby’s expression fell further. “I’ve got business to take care of outside Mistral, but I’m not leaving for a few days and I’ll be back before you know it!” She wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulder and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She was reminded again of Summer. “Now, join your friends in the dining room so we can get moving for the day!”

With that, Ruby smiled and retreated to the dining room, laughing with her friends and listening to Oscar’s stories about life on the farm. Amethyst could feel the worry tensing her shoulders as she thought of her next journey. Raven would be happy to see her, but the feeling would disappear when she realized what she had come for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll start getting more into the action with the next chapter, but it might be a couple of weeks until I can get that one posted! I start classes soon and I've got about a million other things to do, but I'm definitely working on it! And again, thank you so, so much for the kudos and comments! I appreciate you all so much.


	9. The Branwen Tribe

“Ruby, grab Oscar from downstairs, will you?” Amethyst called out to the red head as she pulled the last pot off the stove, serving up bowls of stew for the teenagers. She heard Ruby’s agreement before she heard her head down the stairs and handed a bowl to Nora as she sped through the kitchen and into the dining room.

As Ruby returned with Oscar, Amethyst could see the tears glistening in her eyes and she pulled the girl to the side, lowering her voice so her friends wouldn’t hear them. “You’re not still worried about me leaving, are you, dear?” She asked, placing a hand comforting hand on her shoulder.

“It’s not that Aunt Amy, just thinking about my friends again. I miss them.” Ruby sighed as her eyes averted to the floor. Amethyst’s face fell as she considered the pain Ruby must be in. The girl loved her friends as though they were her family, and she was separated from some of her closest.

“Your friends will be okay, Ruby. Once the CCT tower is working again, we’ll find a way to get in contact with them. They probably miss you just as much as you miss them.” She placed a kiss to the top of Ruby’s head and moved back into the kitchen, grabbing a bowl for Ruby and herself before joining everyone in the dining room. Ruby sat between Juane and Nora, while Amethyst took the empty seat next to Qrow, nudging his shoulder as she sat.

“So,” Nora broke away from her previous conversation when she saw Amethyst and Ruby settle in their spots, “you’re leaving us tonight for some tribe of bandits,” Nora said, pointing to Amethyst, “and you’re leaving us to round up other huntsmen to help us fight this crazy lady,” She pointed to Qrow this time, “but what are we supposed to do all day?” She nearly yelled, her arms waving.

“Train.” Qrow said bluntly. Nora pouted slightly. “We’re leaving you with someone who has a lifetime worth of training under their belt, I don’t think it’ll be too hard to keep yourselves entertained.” He explained.

“Just keep them away from the glass, and make sure Qrow gives you money for lunch. I don’t want Nora or Qrow anywhere near that kitchen while I’m gone.” Amethyst scolded as the children and Qrow cringed. Just two days ago Nora had attempted to cook eggs for breakfast. Qrow had walked in at the wrong time and the result had left the smell of burning eggs in the kitchen until they’d opened every window in the place.

After Amethyst had cleared the bowls from the table and left them at the sink for Ren, who was assigned dishes in this week’s chore rotation, she climbed the stairs to her, Qrow and Ruby’s room again. They’d decided to stick with their sleeping arrangement after Oscar had arrived, and the idea of sharing the single bed in his current room had been vehemently turned down by Qrow and Amethyst. The double in their first room was barely holding out.

She heard Qrow and Ruby follow her up the stairs, and knew they’d want proper goodbyes. Amethyst was known for slipping through the floorboards when no one was watching. If they hadn’t tailed her now, she’d likely be gone before they even noticed.

She paused after entering the room, waiting for them to enter. Ruby came through the doorway first, her arms wrapping quickly around Amethyst’s waist and squeezing her gently. Amethyst returned the gesture, her arms wrapped around the smaller girl’s shoulders.

“Please be careful.” Ruby said quietly, her voice muffled by Amethyst’s cloak.

“I always am.” Amethyst confirmed, smiling down at the girl before letting her go. “Take care of this one for me.” She motioned to Qrow who had just entered the room, and Ruby snorted, but agreed. She left the room again, presumably to give them space.

Qrow closed the door behind her before turning to Amethyst again, placing a hand on her cheek gently. She could feel his worry between the bond they shared, even if she hadn’t seen it in his eyes.

“Qrow, you know I can take care of myself.” She said quietly, placing her hand over his. He nodded, pulling her in for a quick kiss, but not removing his hand, before clearing his throat.

“It might be a long journey to find the camp. They’ve moved a few times since I last visited, but there’ll be signs. You know how to find them.” Amethyst nodded and gave him another peck on the cheek before wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him close, burying her face in his chest. She felt him wrap his arms around her as well, and she breathed deeply, trying to memorize his scent.

Pulling away again, her eyes met his. “You taught me how to find the tribe. I’ll be there and back in no time. I’m sure Raven won’t make me hike the whole way back here.” She joked, a small smile on her lips. Qrow nodded, though reluctantly, and reached for her pack where it sat on the bed, handing it to her slowly. She grabbed his hand again, pulling him close for a deeper kiss before grabbing her bag from him, pulling it over her shoulders. “Take care of those kids, they need you more than they know.” She reminded him.

With that, she turned toward the door again, pulling it open and pausing when she heard her name called softly from behind her. She turned to Qrow, raising her eyebrow in question. He was quiet for a moment. “I love you. I don’t think I tell you that enough.” A small smile came to his face finally, as a grin split her own face.

“I love you too.” She assured before turning again, exiting the room and slipping down the stairs, avoiding the kids still sitting in the dining room and heading on her way. When she closed the door behind her though, a small voice startled her from behind.

“Leaving so soon?” She heard Oscar’s voice with Ozpin’s cool overtone. She should have known he’d be waiting.

“You know it’s better that I get there sooner rather than later.” She replied, turning to him.

“Of course.” He nodded, and she descended the stairs leading to the house. When she reached the bottom, he spoke again. “Amethyst, do remember, should this mission fail, I will have to take matters into my own hands.” He spoke calmly, but she could tell there was a threat lying in the undertone, and Amethyst bristled.

“I told you, I’ll do what I can. These people have choices in their lives, as well. I won’t force this on them.” With that, she turned. She refused to look back, knowing if she did he’d have a stern look on his features.

Amethyst followed the path out of Mistral, making sure she was beyond the lights of the city before she stopped, stepping into an area off the path that was covered by bushes. She pulled her pack from her left shoulder, pushing her cloak away and moving the back neckline of her shirt down, revealing a small, raven shaped mark upon her left shoulder blade. She placed her fingers over it and focused, pushing a small amount of magic into the mark, causing it to burn slightly. She waited a moment before she felt the burn of magic pressing back, the owner of the mark responding.

Soon enough a red, shadow-like portal opened in front of her, inviting her in. She stepped through and felt her ears pop slightly as she was thrown off balance for a moment, landing on her feet inside of a large tent, faced with none other than Raven Branwen.

“So,” Raven’s voice was smooth as usual, “was it an emergency or am I just a new booty call?” She asked, her tone light.

Amethyst narrowed her eyes slightly. “Hooking up with my soul bond’s twin? Doesn’t sound like a good idea for my eternity attached to him.” She joked for a moment before her tone lowered. “This is serious, Raven.”

Raven rolled her eyes but yawned, covering her mouth before apologizing. “Is it so serious that it can’t wait until morning?” She asked, removing her odachi from her hip and placing it near her bed.

Amethyst weighed her options. She’d had a long day training with the kids, and she was nearly exhausted herself. She knew Raven had been dealing with much the same, and they’d both need to be well rested before they had this conversation.

“Well, Qrow and Ozpin believe I’m hiking from Mistral currently, so I suppose I have a few days to waste while I’m here. Should I look for an empty tent, or do you mind sharing?” Amethyst smiled fondly, and Raven returned the gesture.

“I suppose I can suffer through your sleep talking for a couple of nights.” The girls laughed, and Raven pulled a mattress roll from the chest at the end of her bed, handing it to Amethyst.

* * *

 

Raven sighed as she moved to the front of the tent, calling for Vernal and asking the young girl to prepare them tea.

“I told you I will not join Ozpin’s side in this fight. I made my decision.” She poured herself a glass, offering another to Amethyst after the girl sat next to her. Amethyst hadn't been able to find Raven until around noon, seeing as she was busy managing her tribe, and this was the first chance she'd had to speak with her.

“And I respected your decision, until you told Qrow you know where the Spring Maiden is. You knew he’d tell Ozpin that, he-,” Raven cut her off, her tone pitching in shock.

“What do you mean tell Ozpin, I thought Ozpin died at the fall of Beacon.” Her eyes were wide with fear, something Amethyst had only seen a handful of times.

“You know about Ozpin’s curse-,” She was cut off again, this time fear was lacing Raven’s voice.

“Yes, I’m aware, but I thought it took time for him to reincarnate, how is he back so soon?” She asked. Amethyst shrugged.

“I’m not particularly invited to Ozpin’s Tell All Tea Parties. Not when I refuse to tell him where I hid the Relic or whose body the Spring Maiden inhabits.” Raven nearly choked on air at Amethyst’s words.

“Who knew the suck-up Summer Maiden would defy ‘Master Ozpin’ after so many years of blind loyalty.” Amethyst snorted at the remark, but Raven sobered quickly. “I didn’t mean for this to be so hard on you. Had I known what I was putting you through by confiding in you, I would have kept it to myself.”

Amethyst shook her head quickly. “I’m glad you told me.” She assured Raven, “And you’re right. I was blindly loyal to Ozpin for years. I did as he asked, without asking questions. When you brought Mika to me after Spring had taken over, she was terrified, and she didn’t know what to do. The only thing I could tell her was to trust Ozpin. But when someone you’ve never met suddenly controls your life… I understand why she chose what she did.” Her voice broke as she finished speaking.

Mika had barely been 16. She had never trained in a huntress academy and she had grown up in the Branwen Tribe. Whilst they were travelling one day, Mika had been separated. When she returned, nearly four days later, she was covered in the blood of a stranger and nearly inconsolable. She had been attacked by Grimm when a woman had come to her rescue, but the woman was overrun by them. It was sheer luck that Mika had been able to defeat the last Grimm, but the other woman had already passed away.

When Mika returned to the tribe, she had brought with her howling winds and flashes of lightning. Raven had only returned to her tribe weeks ago, and she had known the signs of the maiden. Before her tribe could question the girl any further, Raven calmed her and escorted her to Amethyst, who had been teaching at Beacon at the time.

Amethyst’s instinct had been to take the girl to Ozpin, so she had. It was barely hours later that Mika had disappeared, and neither Amethyst nor Ozpin saw the girl again. Raven had called Amethyst soon after, asking that they meet somewhere with no one around, and confided in her that she was now the Spring Maiden. She had asked Amethyst not to tell anyone, because she felt it was better if no one knew where the Maiden’s power lie, so she could keep it safe. The only other person who knew of Raven’s powers had been Summer Rose.

It was the first time Amethyst had hidden anything from Ozpin since she’d become the Summer Maiden, and it was then that she began questioning Ozpin’s decisions. It was then that Raven and Amethyst had marked each other, a way for Maiden’s to communicate if one were ever in trouble or needed help.

“You must understand, Raven. I know you want to keep the Spring Maiden’s power safe, but you are not safe here. These people, Salem’s… pets,” Raven flinched at the name, “they will find you, Raven. She finds all of us eventually.” She stood, moving to peer at the feathers hanging in the far side of the tent. She could hear Raven sigh as she considered her options.

“So, we will leave. If we keep moving, they can’t pin us down. Have there been any developments in Mistral?” Her voice took a professional tone again, and Amethyst could tell Raven was beginning to shut her out.

“Raven, please, just listen.” She turned to the woman again, her eyes silently begging. Raven sighed, resigned, before she nodded. “Salem knows how to track the powers of the Maidens. I know you’ve been using them, the destruction you’re leaving isn’t something a Grimm could do. Salem will find out, and when she does, she’ll know how to hunt you. I don’t want to take away your choice, but I can only give you to options.”

She paused, taking a breath and making sure Raven was still listening. “The first, you can come with me back to Mistral. Bring Vernal if you still want to keep up the act of her being the real Spring Maiden but come with me so Ozpin calls off his search parties.” She barely paused, not giving Raven the room to argue before she’d gotten her point across. “Or, you stay here, and let both Salem and Ozpin hunt you down and drag you wherever they please, because you know that’s what will happen.”

Raven’s eyes narrowed, and Amethyst spoke before she had the chance to bite back at her, “Please, Raven. Just… if you won’t consider it for me, consider it for Summer.” Raven’s fist nearly broke the table in front of her with the fury behind it as she brought it down. She knew she was treading dangerous waters, but she was desperate. “You know she would want you safe, you know she’d want me to protect you.”

Raven had a hard exterior. To others, she seemed ruthless, willing to do anything to protect herself. There were very few times that Amethyst saw who Raven really was, when she wasn’t acting put together to help protect others. One of those times was today, but the most memorable one had been the day Tai had told Raven about Summer’s death.

Raven had never planned to stay with her tribe forever. But, once she inherited the Spring Maiden’s powers, she’d felt she was taking too much of a risk by returning to her family. To keep them, and herself, safe, she stayed with the bandits and refused to visit. Summer had understood, but Tai had been kept in the dark about her powers and was much less sympathetic. He’d only told her about Summer’s death because he knew how much it would hurt her; just as much as it had when Raven left them.

Before Raven could respond, they heard the shouts coming from outside her tent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I had to include rosebird T.T Also, sorry this is so late! And again, thank you so, so much for the kudos and comments! I appreciate all of you so, so much.


	10. The Branwen Tribe 2

“Wait here,” Raven muttered under her breath, “it’s probably just an argument betweenmy men.” Amethyst nodded, standing beside the entrance to the tent as Raven pulled on her mask, pulling the tent flap to the side and stepping out. Amethyst could hear her nearly trip on the step, likely shocked at whatever she saw, but stayed where she was.

Until she heard the voice.

“Mom.” The sound was crystal clear, there was no mistaking that voice. It was Yang. Amethyst tried to stay put, but when she heard the anger in Yang’s tone, she had to move.

“You know I searched for you.” It wasn’t just anger, it was something close to betrayal. Yang had been searching for her mother since she was young, even risking her and Ruby’s life at one point. Raven knew the stories, but she was doing what she thought was best. “I spent years looking for you.”

With that, Amethyst stepped out of the tent, moving to flank Raven and locking eyes with Yang. She saw the confusion flit over her features. “Amethyst?” She mumbled, shocked. Amethyst only lifted her lips in a small smile, waving halfheartedly to her.

Raven cleared her throat, attracting Yang’s attention again. Yang’s expression reverted back to anger. “And you’ve found me.” Raven replied, her tone seemingly proud. “You were patient, determined, and strong enough to make your dream a reality.” Amethyst could barely contain her urge to smack the woman upside her head. “Well done, Yang. But did you have to be so rough with my men?”

Amethyst couldn’t contain her snort as she spared a glance at the bruised and beaten bandits behind Yang. Raven turned to smirk at her, her expression speaking even though she didn’t. _‘That’s my girl.’_

“I didn’t want a fight.” Yang bit back, looking between her mother and Amethyst. “They started it.” She motioned to the man next to her, and Amethyst noticed he was missing a tooth.

“Well you certainly finished it.” Raven said, looking over them. Amethyst wanted to go to her, ask her why she’d come here and where she’d gotten her new arm, but she stayed put. This was Raven’s home, she’d come here to keep Yang safe, and Raven would decide what happened next.

There was a long pause as Yang simply glared at her mother, before she spoke again. “Right, I’m sure this is all very overwhelming, but I must admit you’ve proven yourself. So, any questions you have I’ll be happy to answer.” She paused, waiting to see if Yang would speak. She didn’t. “I’ll even have the cooks whip up something for you.”

Amethyst shook her head at Raven’s words, but Yang spoke up quickly. “That’s not why I’m here.” Murmurs broke out through the crowd of bandits and Amethyst’s face contorted in confusion.

“What was that?” Raven’s tone sparked with anger.

“I’m not here for you. Ruby is somewhere in Mistral. She’s with Qrow, and she’s going to need my help. I just need you to take me to her.” Amethyst’s face softened at the mention of Ruby and Qrow, but she quickly realized that Yang would have expected her to be accompanying them.

“And why would I do that?” Raven’s voice was filled with anger, but Amethyst knew it was only hiding the hurt she felt that Yang had only sought her out for her own good.

“Because we’re family.” The sweetness in Yang’s voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Raven sighed, tired. “Family.” She muttered, turning to retreat to her tent. “Only coming around when they need something.” Her eyes locked with Amethyst’s, and she could see the barely contained sadness in them. Her hand reached for the flap of the tent before she turned to face Yang again. “I have to say, I’m disappointed. After all, you found me, didn’t you? Why not take that drive and use it to find your little sister if she really means that much to you?”

Amethyst could tell Raven was lashing out at Yang, her hurt turning to anger so she didn’t have to deal with it.

“Because you’re going to save me time.” Yang said matter-of-factly. “Ruby was headed to Mistral, but there’s no guarantee she’s made it there.” Her eyes flicked back to Amethyst for a moment, who looked away suspiciously. “Looking for her in Anima could take ages. But, dad told me how your semblance works.” Raven’s head snapped to look at Amethyst before turning to Yang again.

“Tai.” She muttered furiously. Amethyst stiffened at the mention of Raven’s semblance.

“You could bond to certain people. And when you do, you could create a portal that takes you straight to them. You’ve got one for dad, one for me, and you’ve got one for Qrow.” Yang explained. “He promised me he’d watch out for Ruby before he left.” Her gaze flitted to Amethyst for another second. “And I trust him.” Amethyst knew Yang was confused, and probably hurt, and her gut twisted with emotion. “So, make a portal to my uncle and sister, and I’ll be on my way.”

Amethyst watched Raven closely, making sure she kept her anger under control. “You know, it takes real strength to march in here and demand such a favor of me. I’ve got to say, I’m impressed. It’s very noble to want to help out your sister. But if she’s with Qrow, she’s already a lost cause.”

“Raven!” Amethyst scolded, stepping forward to grab Raven’s bicep.

“What does that mean?” Yang asked angrily, watching both of them closely.

Raven pulled out of Amethyst’s grip, glaring at her for a moment. “You don’t want to get mixed up in all of that, Yang. Ozpin is not the man you think he is.” Her eyes narrowed, likely remembering her time with Ozpin. “And Qrow is a fool for trusting him.”

“Raven, stop.” Amethyst warned, her tone low.

“I would know, I trusted him once, too.” She ignored Amethyst.

“I don’t care what you think.” Yang stated, her voice rising.

“Your choice is your own. All I’m suggesting is that instead of getting wrapped up in something too big for you, for any of us, you take a minute to wonder if you’re already where you belong.”

“Save your breath.” Yang stopped her, “You can spout off whatever you want, but nothing is going to keep me from my sister.” She stood defiantly.

Raven’s eyes narrowed again, and her hand reached for the hilt of her Odachi. Amethyst tensed, ready to stop her if she did anything rash. “Well aren’t you stubborn.” Her tone was mocking.

“I get it from my mom.” Yang bit back, crossing her arms. The silence was tense as Amethyst moved forward again, placing a hand on Raven’s shoulder to ground her.

“Well if that’s how you feel, then I guess we’re done here.” She turned to Amethyst again, moving to walk around her. “Take her away.” She commanded her people, who moved to surround Yang. Amethyst’s face contorted in disbelief and she began to walk to Yang, to help keep the bandits away from her, but Yang spoke up again.

“Did you not hear me?” Her voice was demanding. “I said, send me to Qrow, damnit!” There was yelling from the bandits and Amethyst pulled an axe from her back, holding it to a man threateningly when he tried to take another step towards Yang.

“You watch your mouth in front of our leader!” She heard from behind her, but kept her eyes on the bandits closer to her.

“Make me.” Yang taunted and Amethyst sighed, turning to see the man run at Yang, weapon raised. Yang ducked at the last minute, and the man flew over her body before she sprung upright again, landing a hard punch to the man’s jaw and launching him into a nearby tent.

Amethyst’s head cocked as she saw what looked like a small prison cell behind the collapsed tent, a girl with long, white hair standing inside of it. She looked familiar.

“Yang?” She heard the girl ask, and Yang turned her head, taking in the sight of the girl in the cage.

Amethyst watched as her eyes widened, confused and shocked. “Weiss!?” She yelled, seemingly outraged. Amethyst took a step closer to Yang.

“Weiss, as in Ruby’s partner?” She asked, Yang only nodded, not breaking eye contact with the other girl. Amethyst could see the Schnee in the girl. Her white hair was the most prominent. She shot a questioning glance at Raven, who looked both confused and ashamed.

The girl, Weiss, shook her head before turning around again, and Amethyst was only confused for a moment before a giant, luminous knight grew from seemingly nowhere, destroying the cage the girl had been trapped in and looming over the camp.

“Uh, should we be worried about that?” Amethyst asked, her eyes wide as she pointed to the figure. Yang could only shrug, shaking her head and watching as the girl escaped her cell, running to meet them in the middle of the camp.

They were completely surrounded by bandits, but with the giant knight seeming to be fighting for them, they had an obvious advantage.

“What is that?” Yang asked, her fists ready for anyone to step out of place. Amethyst kept an eye on the bandits closest to her, only sparing a glance for the giant figure protecting them from behind.

“Don’t worry about it!” Amethyst was absolutely worried about it. “What are you doing here? And who is she?” She asked, turning to Yang, but motioning to Amethyst. Amethyst scanned the crowd around them again, hoping no one would try to catch them off guard.

“This is Amethyst, and that’s my mom, she can take us to Ruby.” Yang explained, still positioned for a fight, should one break out. Amethyst could hear Raven sigh as the girls talked.

“Your mom kidnapped me!?” Weiss asked in outrage. Amethyst’s eyes widened.

She and Yang turned to Raven at the same time, both shouting, “You kidnapped her?!”

“What were you thinking!?” Amethyst added, scolding her. Suddenly the commotion around them picked up again, and the three of them turned their attention back to the crowd. Amethyst caught a man running to them from her side and gripped her axe, swinging the blunt end and making contact with the man’s temple before he fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

The giant knight moved forward, ready to clear a path for the girls to escape unharmed, before a lightning bolt struck suddenly, just in front of their path, and a voice shouted out from behind them. “ENOUGH!”

The girls turned again, freezing in place as they looked for the source of the voice. It was Vernal, Raven’s second.

“Thank you.” Raven regarded her, before her voice hardened again. “If you people don’t keep it together, this place will be crawling with Grimm. Give the girl her weapon back.” She spoke to Vernal again, who looked offended at the idea before she tossed a rapier to Weiss.

“You, in my tent, now.” She spoke to the girls before turning to Amethyst as well. “That includes you.” She shot a glare at Amethyst, who returned the gesture.

“Why?” Yang demanded, looking back and forth between the women.

“If you’re really going after your sister,” Raven spoke, “then you need to know the truth.” With that she turned, retreating into her tent again.

Amethyst moved to follow her, muttering under her breath. “Dammit, Raven.” Yang stepped in her path, stopping her again.

“What does she mean the truth?” She asked, her eyes narrowed.

“Why don’t you come find out?” Amethyst smirked, stepping around the girl and into the tent, sparing a glance back just in time to see the large knight vanish with the wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to split this chapter in 2 because the second half is taking me sooo long, I'm sorry for the late update! I hope you guys enjoy this one, let me know what you think! <3


	11. The Truth

Amethyst stood in the entryway to the tent, her arms crossed as she watched Raven moving things about, making room for the girls to sit and tea to be placed.

“You can stop glaring at me, Amethyst. These girls have a right to know what they’re getting into, and they should hear it from people who had a front row seat.” Amethyst rolled her eyes and sighed, dropping her arms and sitting on the pillow she’d occupied before Yang had shown up.

“Can I just ask what you thought you were doing kidnapping Weiss Schnee, of all people?” She asked, not wanting to give in to Raven’s attitude.

Raven scoffed and took her own seat. “I was thinking it was a good way to make extra money. At least it would have been, if Atlas hadn’t closed their borders the same day we found the girl.” She rolled her eyes and Amethyst didn’t resist smacking her upside the head this time.

The girls entered the tent a moment later, and both women turned to watch as they took the remaining seats across from them. The silence was tense as they waited for Vernal to finish their tea, and Amethyst could feel Yang’s eyes on her. Finally, she looked up to meet them.

“What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be with Qrow and Ruby.” Yang questioned, her voice still holding an accusatory edge.

“I was with Qrow and Ruby. They’re safe in Mistral now. I came here to talk to Raven about… something. For Ozpin.” She faltered in her explanation and she could tell Yang caught on.

“Okay, and why do you mean by ‘something?’ Why are you both being so mysterious?” She badgered, and Amethyst sighed.

“It’s like your mother said; you girls deserve to know the truth, so we’ll tell you.” Their conversation paused as Vernal returned, tea kettle in hand. She poured the glasses, and Amethyst scooped hers up quickly, taking a sip even though it was still hot.

“You can wait outside, thank you.” Raven regarded Vernal, who nodded in response and left the kettle on the small table beside the girls.

“So,” Yang started again, “what’s the ‘truth’?” Her arms remained crossed, refusing to acknowledge the tea sitting before her.

“You know, it’s better when it’s hot.” Raven mused, taking a sip of her own tea.

Weiss spoke up finally, her tone childish. “You know, you’re really obnoxious.” Amethyst snorted behind her tea cup but covered it up with a cough.

“The truth,” Raven started, her tone edging on annoyed, “is that truth is hard to come by. A story of victory for one person is a story of defeat for someone else.” Her eyes flickered to Amethyst for a moment, but the woman ducked her head to take another sip of tea, avoiding her gaze. “By now your uncle has surely told Ruby and her friends plenty of stories.”

Yang shook her head, confused. “Well, he’s never given me a reason to doubt him before.”

“That doesn’t mean those reasons don’t exist.” Raven countered. Yang’s eyes narrowed at her mother.

“You know, you and your teammates might as well be the poster children for the Huntsman academies.” Raven shifted her position, her tone bitter. “Your motives vary, but you all enrolled to try and make the world a better place. It’s adorable.”

Amethyst rolled her eyes, but Yang spoke up. “It’s what Huntsmen and Huntresses do.”

“Not all of them.” Amethyst intervened, sighing slightly. Raven nodded in agreement.

“Some people are just in it for the money and the fame, but there’s even more that are just looking to grow stronger.” Raven elaborated. “Your uncle Qrow and I didn’t attend Beacon to become Huntsmen, we did it to learn how to kill Huntsmen.”

The girls gasped, and Amethyst’s eyes fell to the floor again. “Daddy and Uncle left that part out, hm?” Raven asked rhetorically. “Aside from the Grimm, Huntsmen were the only ones capable of ruining our raids and hunting us down.” Raven explained, pouring more tea for herself. “Our tribe needed a counterforce, and Qrow and I were the perfect age.”

“You knew about that?!” Yang interrupted, her eyes glued to Amethyst.

“It’s not that simple to explain, Yang.” Amethyst argued back.

“Don’t be upset with her, Yang. We’ve all kept secrets.” She cut Yang off before she could argue further. “The entrance exams were child’s play compared to what we’d already been through. We were good. So good, that we caught the attention of Beacon’s very own headmaster, Professor Ozpin.” Raven stood, turning to her map instead of watching the girls. Amethyst finished the tea in her cup, setting it on the table gently.

“Even after we were put on a team, I could tell he was keeping his eye on us. Back then I thought it was because he knew, but he had been watching Amethyst as well. It was our teams that he was interested in, STRQ and AZTC.” Amethyst flinched at the mention of her team, catching Weiss’ attention.

“What do you mean by that?” Yang asked, her eyes still glued to her mother.

Raven shrugged. “Constant attention, extra training missions, turning a blind eye whenever we happened to break the rules and get into more trouble than we should’ve.” She turned to glance at Amethyst again, whose eyes were glistening with memories of their days at Beacon. “Sound familiar?” She turned to the girls again, who exchanged glances.

“What’s your point?” Yang insisted, growing impatient.

Amethyst stood and moved next to Raven. “How much do you girls know about Professor Ozpin?” Amethyst asked them, glancing over the markings on the map. There was a brief pause and Amethyst turned to look at them again. “About his past?”

Weiss spoke up. “He was a prodigy. One of the youngest headmasters to be appointed to a school.” She explained.

“Because that’s how he planned it.” Raven muttered. “Because the man you know as Ozpin designed those schools. He has followers inside every academy on Remnant that are loyal to him and no one else.” Amethyst tensed as Raven began giving more information. She didn’t know how the girls would react to it.

“That doesn’t make any sense!” Yang insisted. “How could he have- no. Why would someone even do that?” Yang stumbled over her words as she processed what Raven was saying.

“Because old man Oz has a great and terrible secret. One that could spread fear across the world.” Raven elaborated. “One that he eventually entrusted to our teams. And once I knew, there was no going back. I needed to know more. But with every new discovery I made, the more horrifying the world became.” Raven’s head fell and Amethyst watched with sympathy, wishing she knew how to comfort the woman.

“Okay, then tell us.” Yang retorted, “What’s the big secret? What’s so crazy that the rest of us don’t know?” She asked. When Raven turned to explain, Amethyst placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself. “The creatures of Grimm… have a master named Salem. As far as we know, she can’t be stopped, she can’t be reasoned with, and she will not rest until humanity crumbles at her feet.” She explained, keeping the shaking of her voice under control. She took in the wide eyes of the teenagers that were still locked on her.

“What?” Weiss deadpanned.

Raven turned to the girls again. “You know, you two haven’t even touched your tea.” She joked, trying to ease the tension in the room.

Yang stood, “Why should we believe any of this?” She asked skeptically.

“Now you’re catching on.” Raven smirked. “So far you've done nothing but accept what others tell you, (puts her cup down) but you need to question everything.”

The girls stared at each other for a moment before Raven turned around.

“Otherwise you'll end up just as blind as Qrow,” Raven started, and Amethyst tensed. “and your fool of a father.”

Yang stood, furious. A shot from Ember Celica destroyed the table, sending the tea cups flying to stop in front of Amethyst’s shoe. “Don't you dare talk about my family like that!” She said. Amethyst didn’t move, but waited for Yang to calm a bit, Weiss stared at her wide-eyed.

Amethyst watched as Vernal entered the tent, her weapon pointed at the girl. “You need to calm down” She warned.

Weiss gripped her hand, trying to pull her to sit. “Yang, please.”

 

“Listen to your friend, Yang.” Raven goaded, knowing Yang’s temper would act up. “Your teammates never let you down before.” She smirked.

Yang’s eyes were nearly glowing with anger as she spoke. “You don't know the first thing about my teammates! About me! You were never there, you left us! Why?!” Yang hung her head in defeat as she finished yelling.

Raven’s glare softened but her voice stood firm. “I know more than you realize. Not just about you, and not just what I've been told, but things I've seen with my own eyes. I know the Grimm have a leader, I know people who can come back from the dead, I know that magic is real, and I can prove it.” Amethyst sighed as Raven spoke, knowing she’d be explaining everything to the teens by the end of the night.

Raven began to exit the tent but turned to look at the girls again. “You said Tai told you all about my Semblance.” She paused for a moment and Amethyst shook her head, trying to stop raven. “Well, I doubt he ever told you what Oz did to my brother and me.”

Raven exited the tent and Amethyst followed close behind her, but Raven wouldn’t let her speak before she shifted into her bird form, flying away. She gave up, sitting on the steps leading to the tent, waiting for the girls to exit.

Yang rushed down the steps, not finding Raven. “Mom?”

Amethyst huffed and crossed her arms. “Just wait for it.”

Weiss ignored her, turning to her teammate. “Yang, are you okay?” She asked.

“I'll be fine once we can get her to take us to Ruby.” Yang insisted.

Wiess considered for a moment before speaking again. “It's okay if... you're not okay.” She said.

Yang shook her head. “You didn't believe what she said, right?”

Wiess paused for a moment. “I- of course not. Well, not all of it. It was crazy. We have Dust, Semblances... But, I mean, there's no such thing as magic.” She could hear Amethyst chuckle behind her as a bird cawed from the trees ahead of them. The girls stopped, watching the bird. “A raven?” Weiss asked.

Yang’s eyes narrowed as she watched the bird fly closer to them. “I've... seen that bird before.”

“Maybe it belongs to your mom?” Weiss suggested, her eyes glued to its form.

The bird descended quickly, weaving between the trees before shapeshifting into Raven herself. She landed back on her feet, smirking at Yang and Weiss’ shocked expressions as she stood again.

“How... did you do that?” Yang asked, still in shock.

“Well, I could explain it to you.” Raven said, drawing her odachi and swinging it behind her, opening a new portal with her semblance. “Or you could ask your uncle.” She said, sheathing the blade again.

“You're letting us go?” Yang asked, unsure.

“I'm giving you a choice.” Raven started. “Stay here, with me, and I'll answer all your questions and more. We can have a fresh start.” Yang narrowed her eyes again. “Or, you can go back to Qrow and join Ozpin's impossible war against Salem, and meet the same fate as so many others. But can you really go back to trusting someone that's kept so much from you?”

“All I care about is making sure my sister is safe.” Yang grit her teeth. Raven only scoffed in response.

While Yang and Wiess rounded the camp to grab Yang’s motorcycle, Amethyst watched Raven from the stairs.

“You knew she wouldn’t do it.” Amethyst said, her tone nonchalant.

“It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t give her a choice.” Raven averted her eyes to the ground.

“I can’t stop them from finding you if you stay here.” Amethyst tried again, desperation lacing her tone.

“I don’t need to be protected.” Raven bit out, just before the girls returned.

Just before the girls stepped through the portal, Raven called out one last warning. “Yang. If you side with your uncle, I may not be as kind the next time we meet.”

Weiss only rolled her eyes and shook her head before Yang spoke up. “You weren't kind this time either.”

With that, the girls drove through the portal, Amethyst following close behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, it has been so long ;; I'm starting up in school again, plus I just had a big move and I'm working 2 jobs, so the story has been taking a while to get through. More to come soon, I promise! ^^


	12. Revelations

As Weiss, Yang and Ruby reunited, Amethyst glued her eyes to their form. She and Qrow hadn’t had time to greet each other again; Yang had been insistent that they meet with Ruby and the others, giving the adults little room to argue as they escorted the girls back to the house they’d been residing in. Amethyst knew he’d have questions, as would Ozpin, and she wasn’t quite sure if she was ready to answer those questions just yet. Her trip, which had been expected to take over a week, took merely two days, undoubtedly leaving Qrow confused when she appeared through Raven’s portal after the girls. So, she glued her eyes to the girls in front of them, avoiding his curious gaze until the children retreated to the kitchen, leaving her no option but to face Qrow and Oscar alone.

“What happened at the camp?” Qrow asked quietly. Amethyst could feel the tension between their bond even before she met his eyes. “It’s barely been two days; the trip alone should have taken you nearly a week on foot.” He finished, moving closer to her. He seemed to want to touch her in some way but restrained himself. Amethyst nodded and sighed, rubbing her temples and focusing on the bond they shared, sending through a feeling of reassurance.

“It’s a long story, Qrow. And honestly, I’m a bit drained at the moment. I’m going to rest for a bit, and we will talk once the children have finished dinner.” She could feel Oscar’s eyes glued to her as well, and she couldn’t help but wonder what Ozpin was saying, if he was saying anything at all. Qrow nodded quickly, reaching for her hand.

“I’ll join you. I didn’t sleep much while you were away.” She nodded; their soul bond made being away from each other more difficult than it would usually be, leaving a feeling of emptiness and worry behind when they were too far. She turned to Oscar then, her gaze questioning.

“Ozpin agrees that’s a good idea, we- I need to run out for some supplies anyway.” Amethyst and Qrow nodded in return, watching as he exited the small home before retreating up the stairs, the sounds of the students in the dining area echoing up the hallway behind them.

Amethyst dropped onto the bed after removing her cloak, pulling the laces of her boots untied and tossing them to the other side of the room, near the dresser. She sighed wearily, her shoulders slumped. Qrow sat beside her, his arm wrapping around her shoulder before he placed a kiss on top of her head.

“I know… I know you promised that you’d never force me to tell you something I didn’t feel comfortable with. That I could keep the secrets I felt were necessary. But I think, now… I think I’m putting you in more danger if I keep these from you.” She could feel Qrow tense as she dropped her head, rubbing her temples again.

“Only if you’re comfortable telling me, Amy. That was my promise.” He rubbed her shoulder comfortingly until she raised her head again. She stared into the distance as she contemplated, once again torn. If she didn’t tell him now, he’d be in more danger than ever.

“And I will do anything I can to protect you. That was mine. I have to tell you now.” She sat up again, moving back a bit and turning to face him. “This is going to be the most difficult thing I have ever had to tell you, and you will likely hate me for keeping it from you, but I need you to know that I thought this was the best for you.” Amethyst nearly choked on her words before she swallowed back the tears brimming her eyes.

“I can’t hate you, Amethyst.” Qrow reassured her as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, leaning back to listen again. “Not after what we’ve been through.” Amethyst nodded and squeezed her eyes shut again to keep the tears from falling.

“When Ozpin sent me to Haven with the Spring Maiden,” She began, recounting when Mika had come to them, and when Raven had taken the burden of the Maiden power from her. “The Maiden was not Mika.” She paused again, watching as Qrow’s brow quirked. “Mika… didn’t want the burden of the Spring Maiden. She asked Raven to take it from her, to take her life. Raven didn’t have a choice.” She swallowed again. It was becoming more difficult to carry on. “Raven went with me to Haven. We checked the vault, like Ozpin had asked, but Raven wanted more. Once the maiden got into her head, she needed more information. She knew what she needed to know about the relic beneath Haven; it holds a powerful being named Jinn, and if you summon her, she will answer three questions every 100 years.” She paused, watching as emotions flitted across Qrow’s face before his brow knitted in something akin to confusion or concern.

“Raven summoned Jinn. She wouldn’t tell me what she was going to ask on the entire journey, and now I understand why.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “Raven asked what Jinn could tell us about Salem.” Qrow’s frown deepened when she paused again, she could feel confusion, hurt and anger through their bond. She had no idea if it was directed towards her. She felt the tears she’d been holding back stream down her cheeks before swallowing back more. “The things Jinn showed us… it was awful. All of the lives lost for her power, all of the things she created to destroy our world… I couldn’t even comprehend it at the time. But,” she paused to catch her breath, her explanation spilling from her lips too fast, “the last thing Jinn told us was the worst.”

She gripped her own arms, curling into herself slightly at the memory and squeezing her eyes shut again. She felt Qrow’s hand hesitantly on her back, rubbing soothing circles in hope of calming her slightly, but he said nothing. The emotions she could feel through her bond told her how worried he was for what she would say. She sat up again slowly, licking her lips and reassuring herself once more.

“There is only one way to possibly stop Salem, and even then, we cannot kill her. We have no way of knowing if it will even work, and we could kill hundreds more by even trying.” Amethyst explained, her eyes squeezing shut when she finished, her body shaking as she tried to contain her fear. She could tell Qrow could feel it through their bond.

She could feel Qrow tense as the silence carried on, before he stood and moved to the window next to the bed, staring out. She could see his jaw was clenched and his fist was tight as it found the windowsill. She could feel him closing his emotions from their bond, something he had only done once.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Qrow.” Amethyst pleaded, rising from the bed and placing a hand on the man’s shoulder gently. “There’s so much I still don’t know, and Raven is still so hungry for knowledge, I didn’t know how I could possibly explain it; I didn’t even know if Ozpin knew. I wasn’t sure who to trust, but I wanted to keep you safe.” Amethyst rambled on as Qrow’s eyes closed and he sighed. He turned, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer, placing a kiss to the top of her head before his gaze returned out the window.

“I won’t blame you for not telling me. I made a promise when we were bonded.” She could feel him opening his emotions through the bond again, worry and fear the most prominent of those flooding her. “It would have been nice to know, but I know you have a reason for keeping what you did from me. What’s important now is that Oz doesn’t find out we know. If he’s already aware that she can’t be killed, he’s hiding it from us. If he isn’t aware, it could make matters worse for everyone.” Amethyst felt herself nod as she moved closer into Qrow’s embrace.

“Raven told the girls.” Amethyst mumbled, her gaze following Qrow’s through the window. She could feel him tense. “Not that she’s the maiden, but about Ozpin’s reincarnation. She told them about Salem, that she can’t be killed. I don’t think they understand what that means for them, yet. But they have questions, and Yang will be angry if we try to hide anything from them.” She explained. Qrow huffed and ran a hand through her tangled hair.

“You never explained how you reached the camp and returned within two days.” Qrow mumbled. Amethyst pulled from his grasp, exposing her shoulder where the small, raven shape mark resided, next to her own Maiden Mark.

“Raven marked me after our trip to Haven. She wanted me to have a quick escape if I was in danger, or a way out if I decided not to follow Ozpin anymore.” Amethyst rolled her eyes at the last part and felt Qrow run his fingers over the mark. “If I use my magic on the mark, it sends the sensation through her own, and she’ll know to open a portal. I just had to get far enough that Ozpin wouldn’t see it.” Qrow nodded, understanding. They stood at the window for a bit longer, staring out at the citizens of Mistral as they went about their nights. After a while, Amethyst led Qrow back to their bed, lying with him and resting until they heard the children cleaning dishes and the door close as Oscar returned.

As they descended the stairs, meeting Oscar in the hallway to the dining room, the loud voice of Nora echoed through the home. Qrow rolled his eyes and sighed.

“How could six kids possibly make so much noise when eating dinner?” Qrow called, teasing. The teens turned to look at them. Nora paused the music on her scroll, Oscar giggling nervously as the students turned their gazes to him.

“Let’s retire to the living area so we can answer your questions, shall we?” Amethyst suggested, gesturing towards the room. The kids settled in their seats, and Ozpin began by recounting the stories of the maidens to the children. Amethyst was tense throughout, resting on the armrest next to the boy and waiting to see if he would throw her into the fire by exposing her to them. Luckily, he kept that bit to himself. When the story was finished, Yang was externally angry, and Weiss clearly confused.

“So… the maidens, magic, Salem… it’s all true?” Amethyst nodded to the girl and Qrow confirmed, turning back to Ozpin.

“Miss Xiao Long, is this more or less what your mother told you?” Weiss turned to her friend, who refused to move. Amethyst could only wait anxiously as Weiss answered for her.

“For the most part…” She began, before Yang spoke up finally.

“You forgot something.” She stated, finally looking up. “You forgot to tell everyone what you did to Qrow and my mother.” She accused angrily.

Ruby’s mouth gaped as Jaune asked for clarification. Amethyst could see Qrow’s eyes narrow towards Ozpin, and the man met his gaze. “Oh, great.”

Ozpin hummed, “That’s not a secret I thought she would give up so easily. Your mother must trust you a great deal.” He returned his eyes to the girls. “My ability to reincarnate, though a curse, isn’t without a few key benefits. Much like the maidens, I too possess a certain magical power.” He stood from his chair and Amethyst took his place, watching as the man paced.

“Using this power, I was able to gift the Branwen twins the ability to see more, to move freely and be unburdened by their natural bodies. I gave them the ability to turn into birds.” He confessed, laughing lightly. “Rather ridiculous sounding out loud, isn’t it?”

Amethyst could barely contain her giggles at the children’s reactions, until Yang lashed out in anger again.

“Why would you do something like that?!” She asked, outraged, “I mean, what is wrong with you?”

“Yang.” Amethyst scolded, holding up a hand to cut off her outburst.

“We made a choice, Yang. We wanted this.” Yang sat back, shock covering her features.

“May I?” Ozpin asked, glancing at Qrow, who nodded. “Granting this power was no trivial task, and I can assure you it was not done frivolously. I required assistance in gathering information on Salem’s plans, as well as searching for the Maidens when their hosts became unclear.” He explained to the teens.

“Okay, so,” Ruby interrupted, “have you done this with others? Like General Ironwood? Or Professor Goodwitch?” She inquired.

“As helpful as that might be, unfortunately it’s not that simple. My power is finite, and if I’m being honest, dwindling. The amount I gifted to Qrow and Raven was, all things considered, rather miniscule. You see, centuries ago, I sacrificed a great deal of magic to four young women, who I hope would use my gift for good. They were the first Maidens.” He confessed. The room was silent with shock.

“Miss Xiao Long, it was never my intention to lie to you,” He explained. “to any of you. There are just some matters that I prefer to… play close to the chest. I believe that’s how you phrased it.” He spoke, trying not to anger the girl further. “Everyone has a choice. The Branwens chose to accept their powers and the responsibilities that came with them. And later, one of them chose to abandon her duties, in favor of her own self-interest. Now, all of you have a choice. If anyone wishes to leave, now is the time. There’s no shame or disgrace in abstaining, only in retreat.” Ozpin finished, his tone resigned. “Very well, then.” He turned to the students when no one spoke, but Yang stood quickly.

“If Ruby sticks around, then I will to.” Yang explained. “If there’s one thing I know about her, it’s that she somehow always knows the right thing to do.” She paused. “But, if we’re going to help, if we’re going to keep risking our lives, no more lies. And no more half-truths.” She demanded.

Ozpin looked to Amethyst, who sighed and moved forward in her chair. “I suppose that’s my cue then?” She mumbled. Ozpin smirked and nodded. “Well,” she clapped her hands, “I suppose there’s no better time than the present. Let me introduce myself. I’m Amethyst Lee, also known as the Summer Maiden.” She grinned sheepishly, looking to the students. Their reactions ranged from shock, to anger, to even more shock.

“How long?!” Yang nearly yelled, outraged. “How long have you kept this from us?”

“Kiddo, I’m going to need you to calm that tone down.” Amethyst scolded, her eyes narrowing as Yang shrank back in her seat, still clearly angry. “I’ve been the Summer Maiden since my first year at Beacon Academy. The previous Summer Maiden sacrificed her life to save my team and team STRQ. I was chosen for the power by the girl herself, and it has been a very closely guarded secret since then. None of us expected you children to get involved in this war, I had my duties as a Maiden and it was best for everyone if we kept the powers between the few of us that were there that day, as well as professor Ozpin, of course.” She explained. She could see some of the steam leave Yang’s posture.

“However, before I was a maiden, I was something different. I descended from a line of warriors called Grievers. They fought alongside silver eyed warriors, such as Ruby and her mother. Once I became a maiden, my Griever powers were locked away. They will only return if my life is in danger, and the powers will save me before the powers of the maiden do. Then, another maiden will be chosen, and I will regain control over my own powers.” Amethyst explained the powers to the teens, whose eyes widened even more at the concept of another source of magic. “So, there you go. No more secrets, no more half-truths.” She sat back in her chair again, crossing her arms.

“Understood.” Ozpin agreed.

“So… what now?” Jaune asked, “What can we do to help?”

Ozpin hummed again. “That is a difficult question. One that I believe is best answered tomorrow.”

“What do you mean?” The boy asked.

“The road ahead is undoubtedly filled with hardship and peril.” Ozpin explained, pacing again. “However, it’s been far too long since you have all been together. Please, take tonight, enjoy this moment.” With that, Ozpin faded from consciousness and was replaced with Oscar once again. The girls giggled as Oscar gasped and jumped from his position, his hand placed on Yang’s shoulder.

Amethyst jumped as she heard a loud, “Oh,” come from her other side, Nora’s voice especially shrill, “Raven?! Qrow?! They’re birds! Cracked it.” She exclaimed. Amethyst giggled again and Ren could only shake his head, the rest of the students smiling at the girls’ antics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I can't believe it's actually been so long since I posted.... I have so many apologies!  
> School has been insane, work has been crazy, my health is not great (we just found out I've got an irregular heartbeat) and I've been streaming so much that I've been taking a lot of time away from this story. My finals are in about 2 weeks, so I'm hoping I can crank out a BUNCH of this series after the semester is over!  
> Obviously, since this is A LOT different than what is happening in current season, this is where I diverge from cannon! I've got ideas, I'm going places with this, and it'll be great!  
> Also, in case you haven't noticed, my name has changed! I went by divinivy for a long time, because I was really anxious about people finding out about writing fanfiction and judging me for it. However, I've since decided that I don't really care! I go by drakamae on twitter, instagram and streaming on Twitch! Feel free to check me out and chat with me on any of those platforms, I love you guys and I'd love to get to know you more.  
> IF you want to see some concept art of Amethyst, I've got some uploaded on my Weebly, linked below, along with my other fanart and pieces I've worked on over the last year! Again, I love all of you and I hope to hear from you soon <3  
> https://drakamae.weebly.com/


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